Clear Awareness

Closed jack pine cones - photo by Joseph O'Brien

          Most tree species disperse their seeds via wind, water or animals. Yet for some trees, the release of seeds is delayed until a specific environmental trigger is present (a process known as serotiny). In the case of some coniferous trees - such as sequoias, jack pines, lodgepole pines and sand pines - that trigger is fire. The seed cones are sealed with resin, which protects them from foraging animals. When a fire sweeps through the forest, fire-resistant bark shields the trunks. The intense heat melts the resin and opens the cone scales so the seeds can be released. The seeds thrive in the nutrient-rich, burnt soil and no longer have competition from other small plants on the forest floor. It wasn't until the 1970s that scientists began to fully understand the importance of fire in the health of a forest ecosystem. 

          Most people believe they can direct and somewhat maintain their attention when necessary. But what generally happens is our attitude toward the object of our attention shapes our experience of it. Like closed cones, we can't see with clarity what is actually there. We color what we perceive with socially conditioned responses and personal habitual reactions. Mindfulness allows us to cultivate a curious and open mind that is aware of what is happening without skewing the facts. As Shunryu Suzuki explained, "We pay attention with respect and interest, not in order to manipulate but to understand what is true." With clear awareness, we begin to notice not only what is around us but our thoughts and feelings as well. When we are conscious of our thoughts and emotions without engaging or suppressing them, they don't automatically trigger reactionary behavior. Jack Kornfield points out that being mindful of these mental states gives us a choice: "whether we want to be imprisoned and stuck or to release the painful states and be healthy." Mindfulness is the fire that opens us to the world, allowing us to relate to life without grasping, pushing away, or ignoring any part of it. 

For more information on mindfulness, see this post.