FTWMI: On Being Curious (the post-practice Monday post) September 16, 2024

Many blessings to everyone and especially to anyone curious about how we can have friendship, peace, freedom, understanding, and wisdom.

Stay safe! Hydrate and nourish your heart, body, and mind.

FTWMI: The following post-practice post related to the practice on Monday, September 16^th was originally posted in 2020 (and slightly revised and excerpted in 2023). This version includes additional revisions. The 2024 prompt question was, “What piques your curiosity?” You can request an audio recording of either practice via a comment below or (for a slightly faster reply) you can email myra (at) ajoyfulpractice.com.

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Yoga Sūtra 1.2: yogaścittavŗttinirodhah

— “Yoga (‘union’) is the mastery of the fluctuations of the mind.”

Yoga Sūtra 1.3: tadā draştuh svarūpe’vasthānam

—“[When the fluctuations of the mind are mastered] the Seer abides/rests in their own true nature.”

Take a seat, get comfortable, and do that 90-second thing. Or, sit for 5, 15, 20, or 30 moments. Watch your breath and get curious. Bring awareness to your awareness, notice what you notice. There is so much, after all, to notice. We can smell things and taste things; we can feel different textures and sensations on our skin (and even on the inside of our body); we can see and hear — even with our eyes closed; and every sensation, every bit of information has the possibility of conjuring up a thought or memory that brings more sensation, more information.

It is also true that the more you sit — even for short periods of time — the more there is the possibility that your mind will stop bouncing around like wild horses, elephants, little puppies, or curious monkeys. The more stillness and quiet you can cultivate in your mind, the more there is the possibility of insight, of seeing things in a special way — and seeing what is constant.

“After the day is gone we shall go out, breathe deeply, and look up – and there the stars will be, unchanged, unchangeable.”

— quoted from The Stars: A New Way to See Them by H. A. Rey

However, there is also the possibility that the mind will keep bopping around looking for something on which it can focus and then — like a dog who’s spotted a squirrel — rushing off in another direction. In fact, the longer we practice the more we understand that our mind — just like a little puppy or a curious monkey — is designed to explore and play. Furthermore, the more we practice, the more we understand the merit of playing and exploring our mind.

“Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.’ George promised to be good. But it is easy for little monkeys to forget.”

— quoted from Curious George by Margaret and H. A. Rey

Hans Augusto Reyersbach, better known as H. A. Rey, was the author of The Stars: A New Way to See Them and the co-author of children’s books featuring Curious George and The Man in the Yellow Hat. Born today in 1898, he and his wife Margaret (born Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein, on May 16, 1906) were German Jews who originally met in their hometown of Hamburg. Margaret, who H. A. originally remembered as the kid sister who slid down banisters, ended up in Brazil specifically because she was escaping the Nazi’s rise of power in Germany. H. A. also fled to Brazil and the couple reconnected in Rio de Janeiro.

It was in Brazil that H. A. changed his last name to Rey and Margarete changed her first name to Margaret. They married in Brazil and took a honeymoon cruise to Europe before settling in Paris, France. During the cruise, their pet marmoset monkeys died. These pets may have been the beginning of the idea that became George; because, when they settled in France, they began creating the drawings and stories that would become “Curious George and Friends.”

George, however, did not start off as “George.” Like the Reys, he went through a series of name changes, starting with “Fifi” and “Zozo.”  He also has different names in different translations, including (but not limited to) Jordi (in Catalan), Peter Pedal (in Danish), Coco (in German), Golgol (in Galacian), and Nicke Nyfiken (in Swedish). I am particular fond of “Peter Pedal,” because it makes me think of how Curious George, and his creators, escaped the Nazis.

It is a back story that is as much of an adventure as the Curious George stories themselves.

“It seems ridiculous to be thinking about children’s books. [But] life goes on, the editors edit, the artists draw, even during wartime.”

— H. A. Rey

In 1939, the now married Reys wrote and illustrated a book called Rafi and the 9 Monkeys. From the beginning it was an equal collaboration; however, only H. A.’s name appeared on the original publications. Rafi was a giraffe whose friends and family had been captured and placed in a zoo. She made friends with a family of nine monkeys — the most prominent of whom would become “George.” (As a side note, Rafi would become “Raffi” when the book was published in the United Kingdom and “Cecily” when it was published in the United States.)

By the time the war broke out, the Reys had been contracted to publish a book featuring the gregarious monkey and were working on other books as well. However, in June of 1940, the couple decided to put everything on hold and flee from the Nazi invasion. H. A. built two bicycles and, taking little more than the drawings and manuscript for “Fifi,” they headed south. Their four-month journey eventually landed them in New York City, where the first Curious George book was published (in 1941).

One of the things that aided their escape was the fact that they were officially Brazilian citizens. Another thing that helped them was “Fifi.” At one point in their escape, an official suspected them of being German spies (because they were Jewish people with German accents and Brazilian visas). The official let them go when he searched their belongings and found nothing more than a children’s story.

“George can do what kids can’t do. He can paint a room from the inside. He can hang from a kite in the sky. He can let the animals out of their pens on the farm. He can do all these naughty things that kids would like to do.”

— Margaret Rey

“Curious George does exactly what he’s supposed to do for his age and development (and species)!  By nature and by name, he is curious.  He explores his world fully and completely.  This is his job as a young, continually developing little person, er, monkey.  This is why my kids love the show–they relate so well to George’s genuinely curious nature and all of the honest (and funny) mistakes that ensue.  But what I find most refreshing about ‘Curious George’ is The Man in the Yellow Hat.

The Man in the Yellow Hat never punishes George for his mistakes.  He is more concerned with solving the problem.  The man helps George put things away, fix things that broke, apologize to people who were involved in any indiscretions, and generally restore order.”

 — quoted from “Why I Like Curious George” posted on the blog Parenting From Scratch by Kelly Bartlett

There is no playlist for the Common Ground Meditation Center practices.

The 2020 playlist is available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “07112020 An Introduction.”]

A theme-related playlist is also available on YouTube and Spotify. [Look for “09042021 Experiencing the Mind”]

If you are struggling, thinking about suicide, worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, you can dial 988 (in the US) or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call this TALK line if you are struggling with addiction or involved in an abusive relationship. The Lifeline network is free, confidential, and available to all 24/7. YOU CAN TALK ABOUT ANYTHING.

White Flag is a new app, which I have not yet researched, but which may be helpful if you need peer-to-peer (non-professional) support.

If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgement-free place to talk, you can also click here to contact the TrevorLifeline (which is staffed 24/7 with trained counselors).

“The object of meditation is to still the mind, and the fastest way to do that is to move your body.”

— Gabrielle Roth

### BE CURIOUS ###