Hello friends, today I’ve decided to share some insight into the phrase “True Nature”, what it means to us and why we decided to use it to represent our Yoga and meditation retreat center in Chiang Mai.
True Nature has two meanings, one is obvious while the second is more subtle and has more depth to it. We connect deeply with both meanings, which is why “True Nature” is extra special and meaningful to us
The First Meaning :
True Nature refers to the truth of unaltered, unchanged or uninterrupted nature.
This is the cycle in which nature creates its own balance and has its own innate intelligence to do so. It’s often overlooked at how every aspect of nature has a role to play, from the smallest microbes right up to powerful Sun above us. All of Nature is balanced perfectly which allows for our very existence and for this reason deserves our care, love and gratitude.
It's no accident that the trees consume our carbon dioxide and in return provide us oxygen, or that the tiny acorn has the potential to become a giant oak tree. You might even notice you can feel nature, when you’re out in the mountains or near the ocean or barefoot on the grass. you feel more balanced and grounded, as if you are dropping back into your true home, resting back into the cycle of nature that you are very much a part of.
When we built our retreat center from nothing, we knew that this kind of True Nature is important and would play a big role in its development. That’s why we have maintained the natural eco system of the property, built eco friendly sustainable structures, use solar power where possible, live amongst a variety friendly animals and strive to have a minimal impact on the natural environment around us.
The Second Meaning: True Nature in relation to the mind and meditation.
The mind is similar to a computer system, its designed to constantly think, analyze, absorb, process and plan. This is not a bad thing, after all it’s what allows us to function in the world and go about our day to day. The issue here is that without intervention, the mind can eventually work itself into a frantic or perpetual state of dis-ease.
Let’s for a moment imagine the mind as a glass of clear water. That glass of water is naturally clear, still and pure. It allows us to see what’s truly there in the glass, our vision and experience is not tainted in any way, shape or form.
Over the course of the days, weeks, months and years. As we use the mind to navigate the world, as it’s exposed to constant stimuli’s, emotional states, perceptions and stories it begins to develop impurities, attachments, aversions and identifications.
When this happens the glass of water no longer embodies the quality of stillness, instead its constantly being stirred and shaken about. The cleanliness and clarity of the water is also no longer there, instead the water has developed a quality of murkiness from all the contaminants it has absorbed and they are all being stirred around within the glass. Within this murkiness its impossible to see or experience anything clearly, our minds vision is comprimised.
This is the state of mind many of us experience and identify with.
The True Nature of the mind is what’s revealed when we work with meditation and spiritual practice to start dissolving the impurities and contaminants from the water, when we stop the constant stirring and allow the water to settle back into stillness and clarity once again. Back to its natural state
This is the Second meaning of “True Nature” that we strive to share with our friends and guests. With a consistent yoga and meditation practice we can gradually move back to this natural state of mind in which the divine qualities of loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity can emerge