See Double You

The battle rages on between the yin and yang of the self…

The dark side longs for something more, with a restlessness and longing to do more in this life, because the current life-state and situation is insufficient.  Its awakened nature sees the overwhelming suffering all around, and its perception is that it should be able to do more to help, but it also believes it cannot where we are today.  There’s a painful desire to escape from the toxic pollution that is this overwhelming misery and negativity, away from what seems to be the uphill battle to remain positive and happy in life.

The light side chimes in, reminding it that where we’re at in this very moment is the absolute perfect time to do exactly what we want with our life.  Every individual and situation we encounter, lost in a blinded and self-inflicted nightmare of victimization and tribulations, simply needs to be awakened from their ignorance.  The ideal path is the one we’re on now, not the path we envision and perceive to having the greener grass.  The only challenge is how to inspire this awakening to simply paying attention.

Teachers remind us to be the change we want to see in others, to find the joy in each moment, to be here and now, non-attached to dreams and delusions that have no concrete existence in the present.  Simple in concept, but also simply the most difficult in practice, especially since western culture and human nature makes it so easy to lapse into the groove so many find themselves stuck within.  The challenge remains, and it is that to which I dedicate my self.

deep breath

Breathe deep…

Late afternoon storms rip leaves from the trees, wind blows, rain soaks the earth, leaving a green mess with sunshine behind and work to be done…

The morning after shows little change from the evening chaos, yet the moisture in the air gives the early light something to dance across as it peers from behind the tree line, inspiring feelings of new beginnings and fresh starts…

Cruising along at a comfortable speed, its easy to hurry off to appointments and obligations.  Instead, the foot slides off the accelerator, providing pause to pay attention to what is normally a blur of color and light.

Opportunities for solace are all around if the voices would just stop for a second or two.  Within that momentary silence, a smile forms.  A smile based in wisdom, compassion, and love for all things.

deep breath…

As I stood at the kitchen sink washing up the dinner dishes tonight, listening to the icy rain fall outside combined with the running water of the faucet and the clingy-clang of my washings, I happen to discover the tiniest cellar spider, no bigger than your pinkie nail and virtually transparent out of the corner of my eye.  Hanging delicately from its web just in front of me, I had to take care to not brush or inadvertently blow it away as I worked to clean the kitchen.  Being a former “professional” dishwasher at one of the local, now defunct dining establishments, I have a almost robotic and speedy knack for washing dishes.  This nightly task also serves as a zen-like meditation exercise for me, allowing me to be mindful of where I am, but also providing my mind with the ability to wander and ponder what it wishes.

The discovery of my companion at the sink immediately reminded me of how fragile our life is, and how amazingly easy it would have been for me to not even notice the existence of this tiny visitor, and to perhaps erase it without even the slightest regard.  Meaning no harm, and perhaps not even without the intelligence to be aware of my intentions, this tiny living thing had come down to check out what I was about at 9:30pm, and perhaps also to enjoy some of the water that the sink provides.

As cliche’ as it sounds, we in Western society have grown accustomed to using December as the month and “season” to open our hearts a bit more.  I’ve lately wondered why we can’t do this for all twelve months of the year, and perhaps what the harm would be in doing this.  Though it certainly could damage (or improve?) the commercial industry, the thought of consistently making a conscious effort to not take for granted those around us, to keep our hearts open, and to ask nothing in return, is not just what the holidays are about, but what we as humans should be about.  Consider what this planet would be like for ourselves and our children and those that share it with us if we lived our lives like this always.

Happy holidays to my readers, and next time you discover a spider in your travels, remember what you’ve read here.  Life is fragile, harm no one, and keep your heart open.  A little compassion will come around and back to you some day, and you may find yourself living the life you’d like to see if you can keep these things in mind.

as we approach the holidays, as well as a crossroads in our country’s future… I thought this image important…