Tag: reflection

Finding the Divine Within.

I once overheard a conversation between a young man and his guru.

“The purpose of religion is to find God,” the student proudly beamed.

“Not quite,” his teacher corrected. “The purpose of religion is to find ourselves, within which we shall find God.”

I don’t recall the conversation being specific to any given religion, rather -it was one intended to explore our spirituality as a whole; to emphasize and refine our engagement of this contemplative practice.

“I love the dark hours of my being,” Rilke shared. “My mind deepens into them. There I can find, as in old letters, the days of my life, already lived, and held like a legend, and understood.”

It is only through this darkness that we may begin to understand our light. And, with its softened ember – illuminate our world.

In peace, my loves…

Namaste ❤️

Into the Mists.

I remember once many years ago looking out into a thickened fog; and realizing – how striking the analogy between ‘self’ and this ‘self-actualized’ world.

Meaning, there often exists this misted veil; a partition keeping us from the fullness of this one precious human life. At first glance, seemingly impenetrable. Though, upon deeper examination we realize its density is comprised of perception.

Leaning in, we note the subtlety of its translucence; a million micro ‘thought dots’ peppered to wind.

Are we not, likewise, the same?

You see, perception is inevitably a two-fold expression. The first evaluating by form and function; its color, shape, size and purpose. The second, attaching our judgement of utility.

We see the fog as either an impassable abyss; or, a reminder of the genesis of thoughts without bearing.

A little something to consider, my friends –

In peace..

Namaste ❤️

Opening to the Blessing of Awareness.

I was inspired this morning through the words of Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. He was speaking about the essence of ego, and the need to shift our ‘reference point’.

“Without ego as our primary reference point,” he writes. “mind is naturally open, unconfused, and able to enjoy everything without judgment. In essence, mind is unobstructed and free from ignorance, with the potential to experience everything in a fresh way.”

So often, our practice is preoccupied with the need to deny our ego. We silence, we crush, we attempt to transcend – all the while lending additional focus.

How, then, might we establish this balance between thinking mind and open-hearted awareness?

First and foremost, we must abandon this prospect of ‘chase’. Awareness can not be forced, rather – it must be revealed.

And, I believe we’ve all experienced pockets of unfettered awareness – moments which have stolen our breath away, leaving us powerless to argue the complexities of mind.

Whether through the simplicity of nature – a butterfly’s ascent to peony’s edge, the whispering of wind through Sequoia trees; or the magnitude of life’s much greater moments – the birth of a child, the loss of someone dear…we are inevitably transfixed.

Awareness has shifted absent our ‘doing.’

This is the example we must carry forward; to allow ourselves this space to become lost for a while.

“Revealing this potential,” he shares. “is the purpose of the practice of self-reflection – and this is our natural inheritance.”

My darlings, today I wish you the blessing of unimpeded awareness, and the patience to simply allow its arrival.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

When We Begin.

“You are one thing only,” shares Anthon St. Maarten. “You are a Divine Being. An all-powerful Creator. You are a Deity in jeans and a t-shirt, and within you dwells the infinite wisdom of the ages and the sacred creative force of All that is, will be and ever was.”

Why, even in something so seemingly ‘small’ – dwells the heart of one that encompasses all.

And though he may not seem quite ready for this world, trust – that the earth will patiently wait. But, then again, we’re never ‘quite ready’ – are we?

Change comes at a flurried pace; a new day awaits – and we, must find courage, once again. With grace, we peek inside our soul – discovering that nothing is ever ‘right’ or ‘wrong.’

Rather simply, a reflection of all that ever was and is – a manifestation of that one true spirit.

In a single glimpse, we see all that ever was – though, was sadly missed.

In looking in, we may, at last, begin.

And, when you think of it in just this way, my loves ~ even this fuzzy-footed sleepy head is evidence of the Divine.

No one is ever ready, my darlings ~ but, that’s what makes this path so worthwhile.

Namaste….