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Gratefulness
What a privilege and blessing this life experience is.
When I am in the workshop, it is 70’s rock music as the background to working with my hands. I have an air-guitar collection you know – 10 of them.
When my granddaughter plays with the fruit bowl and stacks the fruit high and wedges a banana in to be the crowning flagpole and she says, “How clever is that?”
When my dad died, it felt like with him, went everything good. All the colours in the world were leeched. And I was alone. I was completely bereft. My heart was desiccated – a thing parched – an old leather bellows, cracked and wheezing. It kept the beat, but only just, and only, begrudgingly, out of habit. There was no purpose to anything. There was only the grey. A sea of emptiness.
Every now and then, I would catch a glimpse of him at the edges of my vision. This was very painf...
Every now and then, I would catch a glimpse of him at the edges of my vision. This was very painful, as he proved elusive. As soon as I moved my head in his direction, he would disappear.
It seemed that the view out could no longer contain him. He’d gone. But where? I knew I could search every vantage. But even if I traversed this Universe to its farthest infinite reaches, I knew I would not find him.
This single eye, which holds everything, appeared to no longer hold him. But was this true? Or was it just a question of form? Him no longer Thing, but rather some sacred essence – woven now into the fabric of the eye itself? If who we really, really are is all the same clear light of emptiness, then when I look Here, don’t I have him in full view after all? Awareness always brings the blessing of Gratefulness.
It does not require a large eye to see a large mountain. The reason is that, though the eye is small, the soul which sees through it is greater and vaster than all the things which it perceives.
In fact, it is so great that it includes all objects, however large or numerous, within itself. For it is not so much that you are within the cosmos as that the cosmos is within you. It all comes back to perception.
Commit is one of those English words that leaves me cold… too many people and corporations espouse hollow commitment to certain things but fall short, but it is still OK. No commitments from me today. Resolve or dedication or passion or action or …. definitely.
Acceptance of what was, know that it is not here now, and be open to what is.
When I smell a flower, I close my eyes, lean into it and be open to the fragrance.
Trying to understand the needs of others and balance that with my needs – there is nearly always common ground. Needs (as distinct from wants) are always positive, so positively seeking that joint understanding is honorable to all involved.
It provides an opportunity to shift the outlook from out bound (blame, judging, etc.) to an internal reflection (empathy, personal responsibility, compassion, etc.)
I have never been much of a “joiner”. But there are a couple of communities of practice – like this one, which is a wellspring of daily delight.
By awakening to the Truth that this happening is much, much bigger than I perceive with my senses.
By doing nothing.
Like Charlie, it is an inward exploration as that is where the answers are. There were one or two people who pointed the direction on inner enquiry, but I had to do the work.
The joy of giving.
Awaken
It is actually the “looking out from” , the observer, that is the wonder.
Generosity of Spirit and honesty
Love stories
Always up at 4:00 am or before. The day always starts with a period of contemplative practice, then out for a pre-dawn walk with Bella (Kelpie dog). It is not necessarily motivated by peace, but a devoted practice. Some days have been far from peaceful – perhaps more like a quake, but that can be the nature of flowering.
I am glad to hear of your safety (and conscious awareness)
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