Change

An Aspect of New.

At some point in our lives, we must leave the protective shell of ego to venture outwards. To engage and ultimately discover, the foundation of heart that soon may empower. “Be still and be aware,” our teachings remind. But, how do we begin to reconcile an unsettled heart?

Through its tireless grasp, ego thrives. It clings and grasps to each passing thread, though – to what end? To seek ownership or empowerment? Or, is it more so a matter of stability? Like it or not, the ego that binds is the same which sets us free. We may feel the heaviness of the moment to be inescapable. Though, the truth is, there is always freedom. Freedom to choose, yes. But, more so, freedom to BE. To be as we are and were always destined to be – imperfect, yet still blissfully complete.

Philospher Jiddu Krishnamurti writes, ‘in oneself lies the whole world and if you know how to look and learn, the door is there and the key is in your hand… In the end, it’s the truth that liberates – not our efforts to be free.’ And yet, time and time again – we concede to our frustrations – thinking, ‘if only’, might once again serve our rescue.

‘I hope that you will listen,’ he further urges. ‘though not with the memory of what you already know…’ Rather, to embrace this world through an aspect of new.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste

Between the Two.

I remember once standing at the edge of a massive ravine. At one end, the trees stood flourishing. And, at the other end – a near desolate wasteland. I thought to myself, how could the two so easily co-exist? And, yet – between the stark disparity, there seemed an effortless blending.

“Why must it be one or the other,” I said to myself. “Something is or it isn’t – but, in reality, there’s so much more.

What we see is merely one aspect of a much fuller dimension. From afar, a flat image comes to life – triggering the sense of days gone by. We become caught up in the sentiment – a judgement before the experience begins.

Sri Niargadatta reminds us so poignantly through his writing, “There is only one mistake you are making: you mistake the outer for the inner, and the inner for the outer. What is in you, you take to be outside you and what is outside, you take to be within.”

Our ‘fault’, if you will, is assuming this world to be entirely objective. When in reality, much of what we experience is a matter of projection. What we’ve long viewed as ‘separate’, can it not also be connected in source and cause?

As we navigate this day, I urge all to remain open to each new experience…to appreciated the subtlety between the two.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❣

In This We Believe.

The  Zen Master Thuong Chieu  wrote, “If the practitioner  knows his own mind clearly he will obtain results with little effort. But if he does not know anything about his own mind, all of his effort will be wasted.”

So often we enter into our practice hoping to secure a sense of inner contentment. Though in the process of waking, when we truly begin the work of disentangling aspects of ego, we may find ourselves completely and fully upended.

We struggle to reconcile the disparity – an alternate view which both encompasses and encourages. For a brief instance, we see ourselves reflected in our surroundings – and everything is beauriful. Just as the gentle arc of a hundred year oak, bending to suit the will of winds – we, too, begin our transition.

For those who know the challenges of mind, the effort is inconsequential. But for those who can not yet relinquish their mask, they will find difficulty in broadening such a static view. Never realizing that they are longing for a freedom only they can reveal.

Perhaps in time they can begin to understand, we don’t get what we want…we get what we believe.

My sweet friends, today is my birthday – could you honor this day by sharing a kindness to another?

In peace,

Namaste ❣

Remaining Open to Joy.

There’s a duality evidenced within our spiritual awakening. At first, a fateful glimpse – a moment in which all bias is suspended. We feel ourselves coming alive. And, thinking bliss our only destination – we pause, wishing it never to be lost again.

But, that clinging offers a shadowed betrayal. We feel trapped by the very object of our will – our breath quickening as we struggle for release. How can a joy share anything but peace?

Author, Andrew Holecek writes,  our spiritual experience can likewise be “the sweetest honey covering the sharpest hooks.” And we must remain mindful as we distinguish the two;

Don’t get me wrong, finding joy is a wonderful thing.  Though, we must be willing to recognize  complacency, as the true spiritual path is never-ending. It is expansive and always unfolding. When we become complacent, we lose our ability to remain open to newer joy.

A little something to consider, my sweet friends…

In peace…

Namaste ❣

What is Home?

What does it mean to be ‘at home’? More specifically, how do we disentangle an abstract sense with that which is far more concrete? Is it possible for home to be more than just a place?

“The ache for home lives within us all,” Maya Angelou writes. “The safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned.” To live, as it is our destiny – free from the unsettled mess of our disconnect and angst.

For many of us, our initial path is ripe with determination. Though, are we seeking to find that which is already there; this blessing of peace and boundless joy?

And, ultimately, finding through the course of our journey – that our one true home is something we must create for ourselves.

A little something to consider, my friends …

In peace,

Namaste ❣

Through the Caveats of Living.

When we remain open to our experience; when we begin to trust the compromise between spirit and will – that’s when it begins; a subtle transformation effecting our view. As powerful as it is indiscernible.

As the twilight shifts, our senses re-engage. In a single breath, the morning light lifts – dancing between the shadow of trees. Everything is new, and yet – oddly at peace; a sense of belonging through the caveats of living.

“You are perfectly yourself,” Jack Kornfield writes. “The gifts you see of love and compassion are not faraway. They are always here, waiting for you.” Waiting for the blessing of your realization.

As the mind quiets, our heart begin to soften. The seed of loving awareness manifests so perfectly here; the leafling thrives only in fertile soil.

A little something to remember, my friends…

In peace…

Namaste ❣

When We Become Love.

“Love teaches that we are everything,” Jack Kornfield writes. Though, when we first attempt to understand this teaching – we are often left confused. It seems so simple, however – the implications are inevitablyfar reaching. If love is everything and we are love, then – how can these barriers of separation manifest?

In Buddhism, we are taught to examine the consequences of self. Meaning, to examine the means by which ego arises – what are its triggers, how may it manifest? And, perhaps more importantly – what happens when we relinquish our hold? In letting go, we are offered a new and exciting freedom – though, not without its ‘cost’.

That ‘cost’ being a fear of loss. If we lose our identify, then – what’s left? Will we feel as strong, as encouraged? Or, will we suffer the pains of a desperate unknown?

Love teaches that we are everything… from soil to root to branch to leaf, everything exists as a condition to all else. The body, the senses…our feelings and perceptions, are merely contextual. Through which, we are offered the ability to connect – to all people, to all things. To see this world through an unbiased aperture.

Imagine yourself standing alone in a darkened alley. Someone approaches, instantly striking fear. Your body tenses, as you imagine the worst possible scenario – until he moves closer, and you identify him as ‘friend’. Do you feel the shift from separate to connected? Though a rather drastic explanation, it’s lesson is still relevant -showing how easily we may adjust the focal point of our consciousness from absolute fear to understanding and love.

“We discover,” he writes, “that our identity is more tentative, fluid like a river, each moment born anew.”

In peace, my sweet friends – wishing you the very best blessings of day…

Namaste ❣️

In Finding Our Resolve.

I’ve been physically exhausted over these past several weeks. Starting a new endeavor is never easy, though I certainly didn’t expect it to be ‘this bad’. Sometimes, I wonder – if I ever truly had the resolve?

Doubt creeps within the shadows of our hesitation. Like ink through water, it finds its way through the slightest means.And though I’ve traveled this path a million times before, inevitably I find myself asking:

How much more?

“Life will have it’s unexpected turns,” Ajahn Brahm writes. “When life is good, do not take it for granted. It will pass. When life falls apart, this too will pass.”

All things must pass. The good, the bad…the greater challenges. Though it may feel different, the vastness of the moment never changes. Before us only the condition of our choices. Do we stand as sentry to an often unforgiving story? Or, do we allow ourselves the blessing of this expanse?

“I am free and that is why I am lost,” Kafka explains.

Though our choices are seemingly limitless, they are meaningless without the clarity of knowing. Knowing ourselves, first – yes. But, more so, knowing the application of peace within each sacred moment.

Our awareness grows like ripples in concentric bands across the water. At first, a tightened cast. Though, in time, it’s raised edges slow – and we find the placement of our breath. We are the giver, and we are the taker – ‘how much’ we offer is our only choice.

In peace, my sweet friends –

Namaste ❣️

The Truth in Our Journey.

My friends, this morning I’d like to share one of my favorite passages  from author, Wendell Berry who writes:

“And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles,

no matter how long,

but only by a spiritual journey,

a journey of one inch,

very arduous and humbling and joyful,

by which we arrive at the ground at our feet,

and learn to be at home.”

The search for truth is an endeavor universally shared. We seek to understand, to lend greater meaning…to find purpose within our despair.

And for as long back as we can remember, we’ve shared our journey with countless others; travelers bound by a common thread. Yet, somehow always knowing – that which we seek, is already here.

The light can either illuminate or detract; a life constrained by edges, or one of boundless hue. The infinite is in the finite of every instant; released by the question and emboldened through courage.

In peace, sweet friends…

Namaste ❣️

Our Spiritual Continuity.

Rabbi Jonathan Omer-Man writes that integrity is the ability to listen to a place inside that doesn’t change, even when the life that carries it may.

I don’t know why his words came to mind on such a beautiful Autumn morning. Perhaps, in response to the weathered leaves, a reminder of our Divine renewal. Even in the midst of an imminent storm, the integrity of our spirit remains unchanged.

Though our hearts may ache as we pine over the facets of our former self, there is still a constancy – a connection to our greatness. In time, we may soon realize that the same winds which threaten our path subsequently reveal.

We are changed, yes – but, we are likewise the same; a gentle newness offering its wisdom. In spite of the challenge, we hold this truth as home. The pace of our learning, set by whispered breath.

In peace, my sweet friends..

Namaste ❣️