"Mindfulness and Meditation allow us to open our hearts, relax our bodies, and clear our minds enough to experience the vast, mysterious, sacred reality of life directly. With Practice we come to know for ourselves that eternity is available in each moment.

Your MMM Courtesy Wake Up Call:
Musings on Life and Practice
by a Longtime Student of Meditation

Saturday, March 28, 2015

The End Game: Take Two

“People usually consider walking on water or in thin air a miracle. But I think the real miracle is not to walk either on water or in thin air, but to walk on earth.  
― Thích Nhất Hạnh

“One can appreciate & celebrate each moment — there’s nothing more sacred.
There’s nothing more vast or absolute. In fact, there’s nothing more!” 
― Pema Chödrön

I'll start my seventh decade on the planet on Saturday.  Sitting here awash in a feeling of wonder, Life seems quite surreal at the moment.

I like it when that happens.

As I sit here peering out of these eye sockets, I am quite aware that although every cell in my body has died and been replaced any number of times over the course of the the past 69 years, the sense of "me-ness" that emerges as I sit here isn't a whole lot different than it was at age 17 when I spent a few moments on a Saturday afternoon in September vividly aware that my life was infinitely precious -- and undeniably finite

There, present to each breath and each step, struck by the exquisite beauty of the sights, sounds and smells of a crisp blue sky autumn day ablaze with color, I knew.  The truth of the matter was self-evident:  This moment would pass.   The next moment would pass.  And the next.  

Then, at some point, so would "I". 

I had no complaints.  The deep poignancy of those moments was just too majestic to resist.  It was the Real Deal.  Miraculous and mysterious, it was obvious in those moments that Life/Death was the only game in town. I could and would live -- and die -- with that.

Although I have certainly found myself plunging into all sorts of self-induced confusions and doubts and dismays over the years, I've managed to wend my way back into the ordinary sacredness that permeates each moment more and more these days.  I'm grateful to the Teachers and Teachings that have guided me on this journey.

Now, quite aware that I have more yesterdays in my pockets than tomorrow, I'm sitting here with a spring rain tap dancing in the darkness outside the window just as I stood there in the bright sunlight of that autumn day half a century ago.   Awash in the mystery of time and the Timeless, feeling the finite and infinite embrace one another,  I have no complaints.

I blame that on the Practice. 

(The Mystery of Life/Death was the focus of Your MMM Courtesy Wake Up Call: The End Game last Hallowe'en as well. )

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