My parents are in me, and also their parents, back to 'beginningless' time (on shaky ground here - winging it). Some instances of this - thoughts that have 'fallen into' my mind:
- I sometimes imagine stealing something. It's quite random, usually triggered by seeing something I like. When I was at Plum Village, one meditation exercise was to imagine the 5 year old parent in us - our mother and our father. And to imagine ourselves as 5 year old children. It suddenly occurred to me one day after we had done this meditation that maybe my impulse to steal was linked to the 5 year old father in me. At the funeral of my uncle a story about my uncle and father was told and in fact my father was probably about 5 years old. They were in a shop and I think my father wanted to steal something.
- I am always rushing ahead in time (like most people) and it is difficult to have a moment in the present moment! 'Quick' was a word I said to my son a lot when he was little, especially when I had to go to work. I said it to the dog the other day too (not the only time). But what if it isn't just about my life, but also about the generations who have gone before me? My father hated to be late, and my mother too (or was she just following him?). Maybe my quickness comes from that, and maybe theirs comes from their parents... Although earlier generations couldn't do quick like we can, it still could have been in their psyche.
More instances of my body as history may arise as I try mindfully to go into my body instead of always being in my mind ('aware of the body in the body'). At least I hope so, because by understanding these old habit patterns I can move beyond them. They not only relate to conditioning but to my senses. And they come before thought, so are very subtle.
Refer to the Discourse on the full awareness of breathing for more information about uniting body and mind.
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