I’m currently in a phase of life that involves a bunch of
change. I’ve got multiple lists, we’re packing and sorting, and we’re donating
and selling. It feels like we’re drowning in details – selling our home, what
to save, what to get rid of, do we get a storage unit and, if yes, how big? And
not to mention the daily conversation of what’s for dinner? As my husband and I
ready ourselves to become world nomads, before we can launch, we have to
release. In addition to the “stuff”, friends and family are wanting to connect
and have been reaching out to us in a myriad of ways. To say the least, it’s a
lot. So when I came across the following quote, I felt as though it were a
gentle nudge from the Universe to remember the important stuff.
“Our
true nature is like the infinite sky, unmarked by whatever drama temporarily
appears in its vast space.” ~ Kittisaro, “Tangled in Thought”
As I read those words it was as though I was being reminded
to pull away from the minutia of life and remember the bigger essence of who I
am.
At times we get sucked into the vortex of our own dramas
that happen from day-to-day. Just take a moment from a certain chapter of your
life and see if you can recall the details of what felt overwhelming and
challenging. If you’re like me, you recall the sense of what it was like but
the story we may have recounted numerous times has lost its juice. It’s just
not as important or as urgent as it seemed at the time. When we give ourselves
time to put on the wide-angle lens of our life, we pull away from the micro
drama and get glimpses of the bigger picture and hence the bigger meaning of
our lives.
Coming to our mats is one way to remember our true nature
which is said to be that of infinite spirit. When we become consumed by the
many vignettes that play out each day, it’s easy to forget that the essence of
who we truly are is right there, sitting within us. It’s as though daily dramas
cover up what’s truly important and if they go on long enough, we may not even
remember the deeper meaning of our lives. As Dudjom Rinpoche beautifully wrote:
“Although
hundreds or thousands of explanations are given,
There
is only one thing to be understood-
Know
the one thing that liberates everything-
Awareness
itself, your true nature.”
A story I recently heard recounted by meditation teacher,
Tara Brach, told of a revered large Buddha statue in Southeast Asia that seemed
to be made out of a white stone and plaster. It came to the attention of the
local monks who looked after the statue that it was beginning to crack. As they
investigated and shone a light into one of the cracks, they saw a reflection of
what looked to be gold. They removed the outer plaster covering the Buddha and
found the largest solid gold Buddha in all of Southeast Asia. The layers
covering the golden Buddha were meant to protect it and, over the years, locals
had forgotten the beauty and original form laying below.
For me, this metaphor is about getting stuck on the outside
so we either don’t investigate what’s laying below or don’t even think there
could be something that’s more radiant than what we can actually see.
When we come to the mat, we practice dropping away from the
shell that feels protective and open ourselves to a greater potential of
exploring all possibility. We remember that we are connected to something
larger, to a field of expansive consciousness, without limitation or boundary.
As I navigate these changing times, I’m grateful to sitting
in silence, stepping into the void to listen to the greater message that the
details drown out. And perhaps, I can rip up a page of my to-do list, place a
hand on my heart, and whisper to myself…”It will all be okay. It will all work
out”.
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