The Pillar of Knowledge

Thich Nhat Hanh sometimes advises using an affirmation to help you remain mindful. For example, if you are inhaling, you can say to yourself "Breathing in, I know I am breathing in." If you are exhaling, you can say to yourself "Breathing out, I know I am breathing out." If you are washing dishes, you can say to yourself "Washing dishes, I know I am washing dishes." If you are walking, you can say to yourself "Walking, I know I am walking." You get the idea. Sometimes, we are mindless, which means our bodies are functioning on autopilot and we don't know what our bodies are doing because our thoughts have carried us off to la-la land. But if we are fully present, then we know what we are doing, whether it is breathing, washing dishes, or walking. 

I remember that I'd often make use of affirmations like this when I was brushing my teeth before going to bed. These days, it is always easy for me to remain mindful. But back then, it was difficult for me to remain mindful whenever I was tired. At the end of the day, I'd always be tired. The last two things I did at the end of each day were to brush my teeth and take a shower. Although I was tired, it was not difficult for me to remain mindful while showering. The warm water running down my back felt very pleasant, so my mind wanted to stay in the present so I could really experience that pleasant feeling. But brushing my teeth was a different matter. I found my mind drifting off quite frequently when I was brushing my teeth. And so, while I was brushing my teeth, I'd periodically say to myself "Brushing my teeth, I know I am brushing my teeth." That helped me remain mindful of my tooth brushing. To do something mindfully means to know you are doing it while you are doing it. It's the opposite of when you start driving your car and suddenly find yourself at your destination with no recollection of how you got there because you were absent-minded or daydreaming or distracted the whole time you were driving.

In IIH, Bardon mentions four "pillars" that support Solomon's Temple. This temple represents the magician himself, and the four pillars are knowledge, courage, volition, and silence. Much has been written about these pillars. When most people discuss the pillar of knowledge, they mention knowing a lot about magic and magical training. I think that's important, but for me that's only part of the pillar of knowledge. To know you are driving while you are driving, to know you are brushing your teeth while you are brushing your teeth, to know you are showering while you are showering... All of that is also part of the pillar of knowledge.

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