There is the silence between sounds. There is the silence that is the absence of noise.
And then there is another kind of silence.
This is the silence in which both sound and the absence of sound occur.
This is the silence that is the field in which both sound and the absence of sound occur. This silence is deeper than the ordinary silence which is the absence of sound. This silence is the canvas on which both sound and ordinary silence occur. This deeper silence is who I am and it is who you are.
There are two kinds of spaciousness.
There is the spaciousness in a room where clutter or objects have been removed.
There is the spaciousness between stars and galaxies.
There is the spaciousness between electrons and protons and subatomic particles.
And then there is another kind of spaciousness. This is the spaciousness in which everthing arises and subsides. This is an openness that makes both phenomena and space possible. This second kind of spaciousness is what I am and it is what you are.
There are two kinds of light. There is the light of the sun that makes all the colors and shapes of the world visible.
And there is also the light of awareness that perceives the stars at night and the world of sun-illuminated objects by day. Without this perceiving awareness, the light of the stars and sun would be in pitch darkness. I am the light of this perceiving awareness, and so are you.
There are two kinds of peace.
There is the peace that happens when a desire is satisfied.
And there is the larger, underlying peace in which both desire and gratification occur.
This underlying peace is who we are.
The mind is a claw machine that tries to possess thoughts and understanding, yet some things elude possession. Let the claw machine grasp after thoughts, that is its nature, and it is a hardworking and wonderful tool. But it has been a great relief for me to see that the claw machine is not the tool for apprehending truth. Truth is for that aspect of ourselves that is deeper than the mind. There are different words to point to that aspect of ourselves that is deeper than thought: presence, being, awareness, soul, the ineffable. What matters is recognizing our depth without getting hung up on the words used to point to it.
Recognizing this depth in silent ways during the small moments of the day is to me the true adventure of life. Marcel Proust said, "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." May today be a day for new eyes of awareness as I spend time with my kids and my husband, and as I move through all the rich and mundane particulars of this day. I wish you also rich adventures in ordinary living.
And then there is another kind of silence.
This is the silence in which both sound and the absence of sound occur.
This is the silence that is the field in which both sound and the absence of sound occur. This silence is deeper than the ordinary silence which is the absence of sound. This silence is the canvas on which both sound and ordinary silence occur. This deeper silence is who I am and it is who you are.
There are two kinds of spaciousness.
There is the spaciousness in a room where clutter or objects have been removed.
There is the spaciousness between stars and galaxies.
There is the spaciousness between electrons and protons and subatomic particles.
And then there is another kind of spaciousness. This is the spaciousness in which everthing arises and subsides. This is an openness that makes both phenomena and space possible. This second kind of spaciousness is what I am and it is what you are.
There are two kinds of light. There is the light of the sun that makes all the colors and shapes of the world visible.
And there is also the light of awareness that perceives the stars at night and the world of sun-illuminated objects by day. Without this perceiving awareness, the light of the stars and sun would be in pitch darkness. I am the light of this perceiving awareness, and so are you.
There are two kinds of peace.
There is the peace that happens when a desire is satisfied.
And there is the larger, underlying peace in which both desire and gratification occur.
This underlying peace is who we are.
The mind is a claw machine that tries to possess thoughts and understanding, yet some things elude possession. Let the claw machine grasp after thoughts, that is its nature, and it is a hardworking and wonderful tool. But it has been a great relief for me to see that the claw machine is not the tool for apprehending truth. Truth is for that aspect of ourselves that is deeper than the mind. There are different words to point to that aspect of ourselves that is deeper than thought: presence, being, awareness, soul, the ineffable. What matters is recognizing our depth without getting hung up on the words used to point to it.
Recognizing this depth in silent ways during the small moments of the day is to me the true adventure of life. Marcel Proust said, "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." May today be a day for new eyes of awareness as I spend time with my kids and my husband, and as I move through all the rich and mundane particulars of this day. I wish you also rich adventures in ordinary living.
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7 comments:
"rich adventures in ordinary living"
- what a beautiful description! for that is what is to be found all around us, if we use "new eyes" to see and appreciate the deep and fertile level of reality that get skimmed over and masked by 'ordinary' life.
Life is extraordinary.
Thank you for capturing depth and beauty in this wonder-full post.
Susannah x
Life is extraordinary- the good, bad, and ugly, the whole ball of wax. Even the anguish I've felt in my life, which I certainly would have passed over it if I could have, has been part of the three-dimentionality and lushness of life. Even the ho-hum, same ole, same ole, tediousness of existence is one more note in its perfection, though often I've failed to recognize this. Susannah your comments are truly appreciated! My gratitude is with you. Thanks also to my cyberspace buddy Todd for posting a thoughtful photo and a link to this entry on Todd Wright Now.
I forgot to say how much I liked -
"The mind is a claw machine that tries to possess thoughts and understanding, yet some things elude possession. Let the claw machine grasp after thoughts, that is its nature, and it is a hardworking and wonderful tool. But it has been a great relief for me to see that the claw machine is not the tool for apprehending truth."
So true - I love the imagery with which you put across this profound truth.
Keep writing, you do it so well. :-)
Agreed. (Arms are too tired from breaking up ice on my path to type more.) :)
Brilliant.
I could relate to what you have written here in my personal way; the silence, the spaciousness, the light and the peace can all be found within us.
Silence within us is the silence that is not affected by any external factors.
The spaciousness is the openness within that we can see things around us and not discriminate and judge.
The light within is the justice that holds the truth and will not be crushed no matter how strong the external factors may be.
And lastly, the peace within is where we can be in peace with ourselves which will lead to peace with the world.
Thank you for invoking this deep reflection within me.
I am very grateful to each of you for your kind comments! Colleen
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