walking to do this one). Prior to each bite, smell your food’s aroma. What can you detect? Any particular spices? As you bite down, notice how your mouth greets the food. Do you detect an increase in your salivation, or does your tongue curl up? As you slowly chew, move the food around in your mouth. See how you detect more distinct flavors of saltiness, bitterness, sourness, and sweetness, depending on where the food is on your tongue. Notice the urge to swallow before you actually do. What’s transpiring in this moment? Are you poised to take another bite before you’ve even finished and swallowed this one? After each bite, see how long you can detect that mouthful of food in your body. Can you feel it go down your throat? Can you feel it in your belly? Do you feel as if you’re one mouthful heavier?
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In the city, we see the homeless almost every day. Verbally or with written signs, they tell us a sad story and seek donations for food, shelter, or transportation. They’re often willing to take “even a penny” to get a little closer to their goals. We typically respond by looking away, developing a sudden interest in our books or phones, or digging into our pockets to produce some spare change. All of these efforts are designed to minimize our discomfort with the situ- ation by allowing us to move on as fast as possible. Seeing someone suffer close up can be simply too much to bear.
Homeless people also bring up many automatic judgments. Some of us feel sorry for the person. Some of us assume the person is a drug abuser or criminal. Others assume the person’s crazy or unstable. Some blame homeless people for their circumstances and shout, “Get a job!” Others blame society, and consider the homeless to be victims of our misplaced priorities and resources. Depending on the reaction, we likely feel sympathetic, hardened, guilty, gener- ous, or scared. However, in the moment, all these assessments are
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wrong; they’re based on preconceptions rather than actual engage- ment with the homeless person.
I’m not suggesting you run out and start talking to every home- less person you meet. There are many valid reasons why you might decide not to do that. However, that moment of encounter can be a very powerful lesson in mindfulness. Can you become aware of your thoughts about the person without getting carried away by them? Can you simply be, even in the presence of something or someone very challenging? Is there a way to enter into the experience of being with or seeing a homeless person without prejudging it? The original mindfulness sutra in Buddhism contains instructions on how to meditate while watching dead bodies decay. The purpose is to deal with discomfort and appreciate the ephemeral nature of life. Observing a homeless person can deliver similar messages to us.
Indeed, there are many spiritual traditions that espouse com- passion and support for others. The Bible is filled with references to “love thy neighbor.” Buddhism encourages the practice of loving- kindness toward others. Judaism speaks of such duties as helping others through charity (tzedakah) and living in accordance with religious commandments (mitzvot). Out of respect for the wisdom of these traditions, as well as our own desire to be more mindful, are we willing to practice mindfulness even in respect to the homeless? Here are some ways to approach these situations:
Extend a blessing of protection and wellness to the homeless person. Mentally send a quiet wish that this person find a way to be happy, healthy, and whole. For as long as you’re in the presence of the homeless person, see if you can breathe in the person’s suffering, while breathing out compassion and kindness. This tonglen practice from Tibetan Buddhism addresses our
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tendency to push away painful experiences. You might also imagine taking in the heaviness or darkness of the person’s difficulties, while sending out lightness and brightness.
If the person asks for money or something else, can you be mindful of your decision whether or not to give? How does your judgmental mind react to your decision? Do you feel like a helper, a sucker, an uncar- ing lout? Whatever your response, notice what comes to mind about yourself and the homeless person.
Consider how you might feel if your circumstances were reversed: What if you were the person without a home, money, or other resources? How would it feel for you to beg for money? How would you want pass- ersby to treat you?
If the situation seems safe, see if you have the courage to talk with the homeless person directly. Ask about the person’s circumstances and the reason behind any requests made of you. What judgments come to mind as you interact with this person? Does the story seem compelling, plausible, or unbelievable? What does this person want or need? Given your resources and judg- ments of this person, what are you willing to do?
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As urbanites, we typically spend a lot of time using public trans- portation. Subways, buses, trains, and trolley cars all serve to take us to our destinations. More often than not, we spend this time immersed in distractions en route. We read books, listen to music, play video games, and catch up on e-mails and text messages. Rather than tune out, however, we can use this time to practice meditation.
While it’s not ideal in terms of providing a quiet, relaxed atmo- sphere, we can indeed try to meditate while using public transpor- tation. The key to meditating in this way is to turn our attention to what’s happening in our bodies. We can bring our attention to our breathing or our thoughts, but typically, I advise people to become aware of their somatic sensations as they move along. For example, if you’re standing on the subway, you’re likely to experi- ence sensations in your feet from the car’s rumbling, and tensing of various muscle groups as you try to maintain balance. Bringing
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your attention to this experience helps you eventually integrate a mindfulness practice into your daily commute.
Before I provide some guidelines for this kind of meditation, let me issue a word of caution: Always be aware of your safety and the environment around you. Particularly in urban areas, which are more prone to violence and crime, we must be vigilant to ensure our own protection. So when it comes to meditating on the subway, be sure it’s a risk-free place to do so. If you see anyone who looks suspicious, menacing, or erratic, it’s probably best not to meditate but, rather, to maintain your focus on your personal safety.
Though there are different ways to meditate on public trans- portation, depending on whether you stand up or sit down, some commonalities exist between the two situations: