Interview With One Of My Mentors

This online interview with one of my mentors inspired me to share it with you, my readers.

Sterling Silver Buddha | Photo Jerome Freedman

I have decided to withhold the name of my mentor for the time being.

This is quite different from all of my other posts, so please have a little patience.

Interview With One Of My Mentors

The text which follows has been edited to eliminate the “chat-speak” a bit. Also, irrelevant comments have been deleted. The deletions are indicated by ellipses (…). The mentor’s questions are in bold.

Are you there?

Yes.

I’ll be a little late for the call today. I have tennis from 2:30-4:00 PDT.

You are a busy man. 🙂

Can I ask you one question?

Sure.

Who is your teacher for spiritual life?

Thich Nhat Hanh.

Rinpoche?

Take a look at http://30yplumvillage.mindfulnessbell.org.

I checked it online.

No he is a Vietnamese Zen Master.

I see. I see.

What do you learn? Meditation?

The art of mindful living.

I see. That’s a good practice. 🙂

Do you chant any mantra?

I developed a couple of verses that help me remember my mindfulness practice throughout the day and they are a vital part of my meditation practice. They came to me in a deep meditation over 15 years ago. The little jingle goes like this:

Lying still,

Breathing in, Breathing out,

Healthy cells grow all by themselves,

I am free of cancer.

I use the “healthy” when I inhale and “free” when I exhale. This happens during sitting meditation, standing in line, walking, picking up tennis balls, etc.

This is the foundation of my practice inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh.

I see.

You seemed to study what I called Heart Chakra.

Am I correct?

Build up the energy within you.

Well, this is the subject of a remarkable teaching from the Buddha called metta practice – are you familiar with it?

I am still a newbie on this.

I have only been learning about this since April 2009.

🙂

I’m a newbie at IM!

However, I do my meditation daily as it gives me an inner peace as well as do things beyond. … 🙂

Metta is the Sanskrit word for loving kindness. The practice consists of the four immeasurable minds: metta (loving kindness), karuna (compassion), mudita (sympathetic joy) and upekksa (equaniminity). Develop one of these and the others follow. My children have touched my heart all their lives and from the joy I experience in their happiness, the other qualities of loving kindness (unconditional friendliness), compassion, and equanimity came along.

I call tell when you told me that you had to pick up the phone from your daughter in South Africa. 🙂

South America.

That’s the fundamental teaching about Buddhism.

Ecuador.

Yes, South America. 🙂

Wisdom and compassion.

Yeap.

What is mindful mean?

Paying attention on purpose to what is going on in the present moment without judgment.

I see. Be on the present moment.

I’d say be in the present moment!

ok. 🙂

When you want to be in the present moment, that requires more than just understanding. It also requires a steady heart. Am I correct?

Yes – it does. That is developed through mindfulness practices like meditation, walking meditation, being present for your loved ones and other people, etc. Much more/

Do you do meditation?

Yes – every day – for so many days that I can’t remember the last time I didn’t!

15 years?

Easily!

I also incorporate restorative yoga, mindful movements [inspired by yoga], and tennis into my daily practice.

What does tennis has to do with meditation?

When you play tennis, you are dealt a lot of stuff for your feelings. You miss a ball and you feel bad, you make a good shot and you feel good. You go up and down with the level of your play. You want to reach equanimity and mindfulness rather than getting caught in your feelings. There’s a lot more about this and I have given several talks to demonstrate my use of tennis as a meditation practice.

I see your point now. It is similar with how I incorporated with my dealing with others in business and personal life. It requires patience and commitment.

In my Mindfulness in Healing class we practice deep listening and loving speech with our members. They really appreciate that.

Wait …you had a cancer?

Yes – 15 years ago

“Jerome Freedman, Ph.D., is a cancer survivor since 1997. He brings to these sessions more than 35 years of teaching relaxation and mindfulness experiences. His purpose is to inspire people to take charge of their own well-being and actively participate in their healing.”

You recovered through meditation.

It was one of the components of my healing. I had chemo, radiation, surgery, etc., but the primary care fell to alternative/complementary/integrative medicine under the direciton of Michael Broffman of the Pine Street Clinic. He is a multi-faceted genious who knows everything about Eastern and Western approaches to cancer treatment.

Do you know one thing, Jerome?

What thing?

Though what you mentioned to me is something that people should practice, the reality is not a lot of people are willing to listen to this practice.

they see meditation as part of superstitious.

When I told people about the benefit of doing meditation, they see it as if I am talking about comic books. 🙂

How do you let people see the vision you are trying to share with them?

I know that too well! That why I have created two blogs and a membership site:

Meditation Practices – this site.
Best Meditation Videos
9 Minute Meditation ( membership site )

I also have Facebook fan pages:

https://facebook.com/MeditationPractices

https://facebook.com/BestMeditationVideos

https://facebook.com/MindfulnessInHealing

https://www.facebook.com/pages/9-Minute-Meditation-The-Path-To-Well-Being/333655933343468 – need likes for this one to get the vanity URL

Done. 🙂

Let’s talk again about this next time. 🙂

I pressed like button for you.

…

As I mentioned to you, people do see meditation as superstitious things and unreal in life.

This is why if you want to tap onto this market as a way to develop their interest, you can’t really focus on meditation. Instead, you need to focus more onto searching for happiness, self-confidence, and etc. 🙂

Yes – I know. That’s why I’m promoting 9 minute meditation. Take a look when you get a chance.

Please Join the Conversation

You may like to join in this conversation about the interview with one of my mentors.

Do you think that meditation is superstitious? Have you tried it lately?

We have some excellent resources for you here and on the other websites mentioned in the interview.

What questions came to your mind as you read the interview? Would you be willing to ask them in the comments below?

Would you be willing to share them with other people?

Your questions and comments would be gratefully appreciated.