Article by Bro Sunanda Ooi

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At least for the last two decades, it is one of the buzzword that has casually pop up in those segments of society that may want to uplift their life. You can hear about it in motivation workshop, self-help books and even in new age movement. What am I talking about? The word is “reflection” and due to its ubiquity it is useful for us to separate the wheat from the chaff. And maybe we can find a use for it.

We all have our reflective moments and more often they just ease off from our mind as casually as they come. It is without doubt a useful preoccupation and if used properly can be good for the wellbeing of the mind amongst other things. If one cares to read the writings about public luminaries, like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, both Apple and Microsoft founders and visionaries respectively, you will know they find time to reflect countless times throughout the year.

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Time to take stock

As we are now nearing the end of the year, it is as good a time for us to reflect the 12 months of events behind us, take stock of what has happened and for those of us who need it (I do) to pull in our inner qualities and energy for the days ahead of us.

And, oh boy! What a year it has been! I am, of course referring to the Covid-19 pandemic which we are facing now. To say it is a watershed event, even this is an understatement of the year.

Never has so many suffered so much pain, losses and even deaths, affecting geographically every corner of the world, in such short period a time. At the time of writing we still do not know, when is the end to this trauma.

However, there is LIGHT. We hear from the authorities and media that the vaccines from Russia, US, UK and China are being rolled out throughout the world. Even at home in Malaysia, we have a timeline (to be announced soon) when the populace will be vaccinated.

But things will not be the same anymore, the whole world population have to take cognisant to that. Systemic changes in all aspects will happen and will affect us; be it our lifestyle, the country’s structural economic alignment, and for sure a negative outcome to wellbeing especially to the lower strata of the society.

More than anytime now our minds need to be strong to be able to handle all these changes seemingly coming from all sides and in all shapes.

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Harness our innate strength

Reflection is a good start. From the Buddhist’s doctrine point of view, this concept has been associated with meditation, although we can say that reflection is an aspect of meditation. (For this article we shall use the general definition of the word ‘reflection’.)

Reflection when used with wisdom, can assist in de-stressing and recharging, and in turn brings about a greater calmness and ability to respond to emotions or happenings, for a calmer sense of being. This is pertinent as we are literally bombarded with negative inputs of news on a daily basis.

After going through 8 months of MCO (movement control order) since it was imposed in March, the general topic among friends inevitably goes to what one does with the new found time on their plate. (We know there is a marked increase in Netflix subscription.) Retrospectively speaking, it is as good a time as any to reflect on those months. We have gone through something unprecedented. Self-reflection will gives us the tools we need to discover the talents and opportunities that may have remained buried deep within. It will also give us the space and the time to figure ourselves out and discover our strengths and abilities.

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Looking to the future

More than anything else is the uncertainty of the future. Some of us may have lost our jobs and businesses are having to close down. There have been reports of mental health issues increasing at alarming levels. With self-reflection and introspection, it will help us recall the short and long-term goals we’ve set for ourselves. We all have a role to play in shaping our destiny. Taking some time to sit and think about the future helps us make appropriate decisions that are compatible with our purpose.

Last but not least, I would like to share a short story and an appendix of a reflection exercise. Please reflect well on the story because I believe that every snippet of happenings in there has similarities to the situation we are in right now.

The story goes…..

The great swordsman Chiba Shusaku (1794–1855) went fishing one night with several of his followers. They set out with torches, heading farther and farther away to sea in search of fish, until they lost all sense of direction. Which way was the shore?

Shusaku himself grew flustered and had a series of torches lit while he peered in vain into the gloom.

As they roamed the sea with mounting panic, the last of the torches burned out. The situation seemed hopeless. But lo and behold, as darkness settled in, there in the distance was the outline of land, looming darker still. The men whooped in relief and joy.

Days later, Shusaku recounted the incident to a fisherman friend of his. The friend said smilingly, “That wasn’t like you. You should know that you can’t see the shore with torches. Torches are used to light up your immediate surroundings. If you want to see into the distance, they only get in the way. When we want to look far off, we douse them on purpose.”

As long as you rely on torches, you cannot make out the distant shore. (If you are caught up in the here and now, you cannot look ahead into the future).

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Keep healthy – mentally and physically

Reflection Exercise – Appendix from Samye Institute

In the morning, before you go about your daily activities, take just a few minutes to reflect on your motivation and your intentions. If there is a quotation from a teaching that inspires you, read that silently, or aloud. If there is a spiritual figure who inspires you, look at a photo or representation of that being. Think about how you wish to transform. If you know that you may encounter difficult situations in your day, reflect on how you can prepare yourself to meet those with an open and kind heart.

You may want to think of a word or phrase to repeat silently to yourself during the day to keep you on track. And if you know that you are struggling with one of the negative emotions, gently remind yourself of that, and set the intention not to give into that habit. Some people find it helpful to use a written note as a reminder. Experiment with what works for you –you can be playful in your reflection, not harsh and self-critical. In this way, if you catch yourself under the influence of negativity, you can laugh at yourself –aha–that’s anger–and then you give yourself space to shift gears. You may find that just catching yourself in this way, and identifying the emotion, immediately deflates its power.

Again, at the end of the day, spend a few moments in self-reflection. Think about your actions, your words and your thoughts during the day. Were you able to maintain awareness? If you made mistakes, acknowledge those and reflect on how you might have acted differently. Don’t dwell on negativity or judge yourself harshly–instead, simply think–next time I will react differently. As you go to sleep, make the commitment to continue your transformation.

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Notes: The story of the great swordsman was taken from the book “Something You Forgot… Along the Way: Stories of Wisdom and Learning” by Kentetsu Takamori (2009).