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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
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How to Meditate: Meditation 101 for Beginners
10 Science-Backed Benefits of Meditation
What is Meditation?
Benefits of Mindfulness: Mindful Living Can Change Your Life
Mindfulness 101: A Beginner's Guide
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Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today I'm going to share with you an old parable about a tree, a useless tree. So a carpenter and his apprentice were walking together through a large forest. And when they came across a tall, huge, gnarled, old, beautiful oak tree, the carpenter said to his apprentice, "Do you know why this tree's so tall, huge, so gnarled, and old and beautiful?" The apprentice looked at his master and said, "No. Why?" Well, the carpenter said, "Because it's useless.
If this tree had been useful, it would have been cut down long ago and made into something. This tree is useless. A boat made from it would sink. A coffin would soon rot. A tool would split.
A door would ooze. And a beam would end up with termites. It's worthless timber. It's of no use. And that's precisely why it's reached such a ripe old age.
And it's exactly because it's useless that it could grow so tall, majestic and beautiful so that you can sit in the shade today and relax underneath its canopy." He went on to say, "No one seems to know how useful it is to be useless, like this beautiful tree." He said, "What does it mean to be useless? It's to be empty, free of striving, free of the desire to become something or to be anything special or prove yourself. To be useless is simply to relax as you are, to rest at ease and to allow our true nature to express itself in a simple, easy way, When there's nothing to do, nothing to be, nothing to attain, when we truly let go of any need to be a certain way, leaving everything alone, then we're truly free like this useless tree." I love this story. You know, I think so often our self worth is hitched to being useful to somebody else. We're often evaluating how useful we are to our partner, our company, our community, to our friends, to our world. And there can be this sense that our worth is only in our doing and a background fear that are being isn't enough.
So perhaps we might all benefit from taking some time every now and then to ask ourselves what exactly it is that we're working so hard to be useful for and why, and for whose benefit? What do we hope to gain by all of our efficiency and productivity? And for whose approval or recognition? Are we keeping busy because we think that's what life actually requires of us? Or, are we just filling our moments up, trying to kind of make it in the eyes of the world? Because the reality is that every single person is valuable and worthy just as they are. Each one of us makes a difference to the world around us. No one's useless, even if they're regarded that way by some people around them. So remember it doesn't matter how society labels you or what they think of you. Your worth doesn't depend on you're doing.
You're already whole and worthy in every fiber of your being. So that's the remembrance for today and for the rest of this week. So as always, thank you for your practice and your presence here with us. And now let's settle in for today's meditation.
The Parable of the Useless Tree
Personalized support for learning how to integrate mindfulness into your life. Delivered fresh everyday by our world renowned experts. Choose meditation duration:
Duration
Your default time is based on your progress and is changed automatically as you practice.
Hi, and welcome to your Daily Mindfulness. Today I'm going to share with you an old parable about a tree, a useless tree. So a carpenter and his apprentice were walking together through a large forest. And when they came across a tall, huge, gnarled, old, beautiful oak tree, the carpenter said to his apprentice, "Do you know why this tree's so tall, huge, so gnarled, and old and beautiful?" The apprentice looked at his master and said, "No. Why?" Well, the carpenter said, "Because it's useless.
If this tree had been useful, it would have been cut down long ago and made into something. This tree is useless. A boat made from it would sink. A coffin would soon rot. A tool would split.
A door would ooze. And a beam would end up with termites. It's worthless timber. It's of no use. And that's precisely why it's reached such a ripe old age.
And it's exactly because it's useless that it could grow so tall, majestic and beautiful so that you can sit in the shade today and relax underneath its canopy." He went on to say, "No one seems to know how useful it is to be useless, like this beautiful tree." He said, "What does it mean to be useless? It's to be empty, free of striving, free of the desire to become something or to be anything special or prove yourself. To be useless is simply to relax as you are, to rest at ease and to allow our true nature to express itself in a simple, easy way, When there's nothing to do, nothing to be, nothing to attain, when we truly let go of any need to be a certain way, leaving everything alone, then we're truly free like this useless tree." I love this story. You know, I think so often our self worth is hitched to being useful to somebody else. We're often evaluating how useful we are to our partner, our company, our community, to our friends, to our world. And there can be this sense that our worth is only in our doing and a background fear that are being isn't enough.
So perhaps we might all benefit from taking some time every now and then to ask ourselves what exactly it is that we're working so hard to be useful for and why, and for whose benefit? What do we hope to gain by all of our efficiency and productivity? And for whose approval or recognition? Are we keeping busy because we think that's what life actually requires of us? Or, are we just filling our moments up, trying to kind of make it in the eyes of the world? Because the reality is that every single person is valuable and worthy just as they are. Each one of us makes a difference to the world around us. No one's useless, even if they're regarded that way by some people around them. So remember it doesn't matter how society labels you or what they think of you. Your worth doesn't depend on you're doing.
You're already whole and worthy in every fiber of your being. So that's the remembrance for today and for the rest of this week. So as always, thank you for your practice and your presence here with us. And now let's settle in for today's meditation.
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Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
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This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
- Babs312
This is the app I turn to when I want to feel calm and loved.
- Abby
Melli has a beautiful way of guiding and reminding us of the stillness within.
- Adrienne James
I have been on a journey of healing and learning self-love. Amidst the work, I have been using the mindfulness app for the gentle reminders, guides to the moment (especially the difficult ones).
Kelly Boys offers a fresh and illuminating take on how to step out of lifelong patterns that keep snagging us.
- Tara Brach, PhD
Truly life changing. This isn't solely meditation and mindfulness...this is about striving to be the best the versions of ourselves.
- Marisa, Plus+ Member
Relaxing and assuring beyond description... thank you, Cory.
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Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
Shamash's guidance is a gift of wisdom to help us in our busy and stressful lives.
- Paul Gilbert, PhD, FBPsS, OBE, Centre for Compassion Research and Training, University of Derby, United Kingdom
Excellent! Cory gently guides you into internal peace.
- Steve Ericson
A necessary tool for those who feel lost.
- Piper
Just want to say a big thankyou to all involved as this has had a positive impact in my daily life 🙏 Valuable teachings that have allowed me to have a better relationship not only with those around me, but with myself. Heal ourselves and we heal the world 💫✨🌍
- Marty
I start every day with Cory or Melli for my daily practice. Including this app into my practice helps me continue to build more mental focus and understanding of my thought processes. What a welcome and powerful gift.
- Oku
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