Tag: love

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 ❣

The Only ‘Wall’ That Matters.

There’s a reverence for life that seems to have been lost. At least, that’s what the news would portray – world leaders effecting hate over Twitter as millions of acres burn away. Our priorities shift as the ego grows.

By all accounts, humanity’s ‘mirror’ has been shattered. Though, in actuality, it’s the actions we take – our role in moving forward – which serves to define the greater measure of man.

In Buddhism, we speak of apertures – the lens by which we view this world. Our reverence for life refines that focus, broadening to include all aspects of life.

We can be angry, we can be sad – but we mustn’t ever lose faith in the value of our place; as the bearer of strength in our time of need.

In the end, the only ‘wall’ truly of concern is the one which confines our heart.

In peace…

Namaste ❣️

The Lesson of Leaf.

“Wrapped within young leaves,” Soseki writes, “is the sound of water.”

This delicate observation reminds us of our inherent nature; one comprised of hope, trust and boundless resilience. Infused throughout each aspect of our unfolding.

Like the tender leaf, we bend and reach – “if only”, we plead. Struggling for that narrowed patch of sun hoping soon to break free.

It’s a mistake to assume we exist just as one. From seed to sapling to towering Birch, we embody the essence of all encouraged.

Even the far off sound of a trickling stream shares its imprint – one of life, of longing, and infinite courage.

In peace, my sweet friends…I love you all.

Namaste ❣️

How We Become Whole.

I remember the first time he hit me; it was an unexpected sharp blow from behind. A ‘sucker punch’, as my father would have said. And I was a fool for allowing it in my life.

Like so many others, I mistook his attention. I was terrified by the prospect of an unmitigated emptiness, hoping desperately that his presence might help to relieve. Though as time passed, his actions worsened and I found myself living in a constant state of fear.

As humans, we strive to connect. We desperately need to coexist with another – as if it were a measure of our own self worth. We become so invested in our ‘others’ opinion, that we fail to take stock of our own.

How well have we lived, and how have we loved? More importantly, what treasures have we left behind?

It took many, long years for me to finally understand that this void I had experienced was mine alone to fill.

We can not seek wholeness through the company of others. Rather, we must first be whole in order to share. In leaving him, I was able to return faith to a space where it was sorely needed.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❣️

Where Do We Choose to Take Our Rest?

There was a story recently in our local newspaper. A man who had lost his son was asked to speak at the trial of the man accused of killing him.

Everyone following had expected to hear words of condemnation and hate. They assumed the grief far too great for any one man to bear.

And yet, when the time came for the man to address the court he looked directly into the eyes of the accused and said, “I forgive so that someday you may forgive yourself.” He then hugged him and whispered, ‘Do good things.’

Imagine the strength of this beautiful soul honoring the love of a child through his own debilitating pain. Through the blurred veil of tears, he recognized the wounds of another. In this moment, he wished only to console.

Could you or I effect the same?

Just as the wave crashes, it also recedes. And, asking nothing in return – it washes away all traces of impact. As we stand at its edges, we find peace in its roar.

Forgiveness is, I believe, within the nature of all living creatures. It binds itself to a continuity of peace, opening our wounds to the furthest reaches of a newfound hope. Is it faith? Is it belief?

In the end, we must ask ourselves – where do we wish to take our rest?

In the company and service of others? Or locked within the calcifications of pain?

It is not only our choice, my friends – it is our humanity.

Namaste ❤️

A Dog’s Ode to Joy.

When a dog wags his tail, the whole world knows his intention: to engage and to share all expressions of joy, to find a space of communion between.

They are our link to paradise, reminding us of our ability to connect. And, knowing not these roots of injustice – finding depth within the breath, and warmth against the light.

In these moments, they offer their unbridled exuberance; a joie de vivre in a selfless journey.

They are indeed the angels who walk amongst us. They are our points of light, our guideposts and stars.

And, oh my goodness, how lucky we are…

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❤️

This Love Within.

Someone once shared to me that we can only truly live within our deepest heart; that space where our fear and suffering reside unmasked.

“Here is where the real work begins,” he said.

Each of us carries the burden of our tears, though through the years we learn to deny. Still, like an infant child crying for its mother – they wait for the warmth of our loving arms, and the reassurance to guide them through.

It is only when we are able to see through the lens of unconditional love, that our healing may ultimately begin.

Were it not for these moments of opening – the joy in a child’s achievements, the mystery of newfound love – how might we ever go on?

People often tell me that it’s far too difficult to let go of their pain. Though, as Carl Jung once wrote it’s far more terrifying to accept oneself completely. And this pain is simply a warning sign, that we are not living our life completely.

We have the ability to love, certainly. Then why can’t we offer the same love to self?

After all, the greatest of love begins within.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❤️

Removing These Barriers to Love.

When I was a young girl, I thought the Moon was in love with the Earth, that he would visit upon her every evening sharing the last of his light to provide warmth in her slumber.

Love is meant to heal; to offer safety and renewal. It is intended to inspire the source of our strength, to eliminate any castings of doubt. But, more so – it is selfless. Why?

Because, we are love. Though sadly, our confusion manifests in this earthly form – the boundaries of body limiting the essence of soul.

In the Vedic tradition, form is indistinguishable from this essence. Though a watch is formed from gold, it never loses its fundamental radiance.
Though we may attach to this label of ‘I’, we can not change the basis of our being.

We are born boundless manifestations of love, obscured only through thought of mind.

And leaving just one simple task, my friends. As the poet Rumi once shared, to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

A Boundless Expression of Our Love.

Who are we?

And, more importantly – what is it that we desire most from this life?

For some, the answer maintains the status of label – something to be revered. Articulating how we wish to be seen, but speaking nothing to our view of self.

Nevertheless, we are drawn to the essence and security of their meaning – though, they cannot possibly encapsulate the broader context of our human spirit.

Words become our ‘measuring post’ – an empty comparative drawn from the shallows of a perceived emotional return.

One of the most common misconceptions is that we may only know happiness through the dialogue of sacrifice. Though, do we ever ask ourselves – is this the life I truly wish to have?

In visiting home, I could run my hands a thousand times over the stone garden wall my father once built for my Mother – each time revealing a new aspect to his dedication and love. The treacherous climb down muddied banks, through the briars and thickened brush – hoping to collect only the prettiest of stones.

As he mortared the last of these ‘jewels’ into place – did he think of status and title? Or, the acknowledgement of joy in my Mother’s smiling face?

Nothing tells us more about who we are than the choices we make. No word, no label – nor, benefit of accolades. Rather, we are the composite of each boundless expression of love.

In peace, my sweet friends…

Namaste ❤️

Remembering Our Love.

I went for a ride in the car last night, a brief outing in the days following my surgery. I’d wanted the benefit of cool, evening air – the scent of sweet grass and wild honeysuckle serving a wondrous elixir.

Sadly though, something else was there. My mind shifted to the images of brutality; a ‘sentence’ served at the hands of injustice. It was intended to be a peaceful demonstration; though, if that were the case then why were they armed?

Torches lit the faces of a malignant racism. Thousands poured into the streets like a ravenous snake though the crowds. “Blood and soil,” they shouted. As if the value of a man were theirs to secure.

American journalist, Dan Rather writes, “It defies reason to even write of such a thing.” Though, here we are – again, with newer lines being drawn.

In grade school I learned of man’s inhumanity to man, and – not wanting to believe, turned the other way. “They were men, just like us,” my uncle’s words rang clear as he recounted the horror of the Nuremberg trials.

I caught myself, for a brief moment as I looked into the face of a passerby, “I wonder if they think like them,” as a chill hit my spine.

That’s how it begins – fear first, then hate. But, that’s not what this world needs. This world needs our love more.

Though, how do we find peace amongst the blood curdling screams? In part, by asking – what do I wish more?

In this space, there are no sides – just one. One breath, one life – one collective human heart.

And, whereas – we can not define the ‘other’, we can encourage healing.

Maybe, I’m a fool – though I will not relinquish my heart to another’s fear. Rather, like many before me – my love shall rise above.

In peace…

Namaste ❤