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What if your life turned out to be ‘ordinary’? Slow down and relish this – it might even be enchanting
Being unremarkable is often seen as a sign of moral failure – yet finding joy in the everyday can lead to a mindful, luminous experience
TL;DR
- The pursuit of an 'ordinary' life, free from the pressure of exceptionalism, can lead to a mindful and luminous experience.
- Many turn to spiritual practices seeking something more than the 'banality' of daily life, often desiring heightened experiences or a more accomplished self.
- The conventional view sees 'ordinary' as a sign of moral failure, a flattened existence, contrary to modern values of growth and optimization.
- Reinterpreting 'ordinary' as common and indistinguishable, rather than lacking, aligns with Buddhist principles and challenges capitalist notions of exceptionalism.
- Spiritual aspirations for transcendence can be a necessary stage, leading to disillusionment and a eventual return to appreciating the everyday.
- Finding enchantment in the ordinary involves recognizing the dense, sensual experience within habitual activities and accepting the simple fact of existence.
- Letting go of the desire for ascent and surrendering to 'what is' by bringing mindful receptivity to daily rhythms leads to satisfaction and appreciation.
- The ordinary is not the opposite of the special; it can be sufficient, satisfying, and spectacular in its own right.