I remember coming here from radiant light and incomprehensible bliss to find myself in a strange land. I came from Home to venture into adventure itself – consciousness seeking experience, I guess. But “here” now downs in drama and sometimes ushers in forgetting and worry that I’ve left Home again.
Or have I? Maybe Home is everywhere and everything. Paradoxically, the life of experiences brings recognition finally of what I am beyond experiences. Events of this time, though, sometimes blur the truth that I am everyone and everyone is me and we are consciousness.
Experiences bring recognition of Truth – but only if I pay attention.
But is there an ultimate Truth? Can I find it, or is it an evolving expansion happening in eternity? My mind struggles for understanding, fights for a sureness it can never find. I’m tired of the fear, the mystery, the vain attempts to figure out so much, including all that is going on these days.
Be still my mind while I listen to my heart – listen to her accept the inevitable adventure as a grace, a privilege, an honor. Someone once said: “Notice the little things; they will teach you.”
Okay!
This morning is bright with summer sunshine and humid heat. The young plants in my garden reach up their greenness, calmly absorbing every little thing. I’ve seen them in the wind and watched them in the rain. I’ve noticed how they don’t even flinch when plucked from the ground and go limp without even a shudder. Is simple acceptance as peaceful as this?
There is awareness of my own resistance to take in and accept everything as the asparagus bean plants I’m watering so easily do. And my favorites, the trees in our yard – Flynn, Lilly, Oscar, and Horus – each have their own character but are just like the asparagus beans when it comes to acceptance.
As I ponder the plants and their acceptance of everything, I feel my own inner resistance to accepting everything. But I breathe and allow acceptance to find me. A feeling – acceptance – comes gently as I experience even inner resistance accepted. I am suddenly at peace.
Peace happens when I allow into acceptance this angry chattering mother – this mind protecting her babe from unseen danger. She is only trying to help. Do I shut her up forcefully or just accept her lovingly and let her go? The answer is obvious if I want peace. And I do.
The orange water hose in my palm pulsates with liquid refreshment the climbing beans absorb so naturally. It is an honor to experience life with them. And I find that the more I connect with these moments shared with the beans and trees, the more I am back at peaceful Home as they always are.
All while the inner and outer adventures in consciousness continue.
Note: This article was published in The Peace Room Project Quarterly, June 2020 Edition. Reprinted here with permission from Open Gate Sangha and Adyashanti.org. Link to magazine: https://tinyurl.com/y7ymy8oy
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So wonderful to read this one on life and your piece on death and acceptance, Janice. Moments of struggle, moments of deep insight, flashes ot pure joy, always the wheel of life, turning.
I wonder if you have read Where the Crawdads Sing? I believe you might enjoy it immensly💖.Shelley
Yes I have read that beautifully written book! Loved it as you expected. A movie should be made of it. Hauntingly beautiful and full of the love of nature.