Developing the ability to let go into moments of openness enables us to reconnect with the simple day to day occurrences in life which can instantly bring us into a place of joy and simplicity. Modern life is full of the opposite. There is rampant disconnection with what actually is.
This is the reason why it is so important to take moments to stop and breathe and by this I mean to really let go into the breath. If we can let go of our clinging to outcomes; our clinging to expectations; our hopes and our fears, then we permit ourselves a precious moment of inner silence. This inner silence is an unwinding, it allows the mind to unravel the intricate and deluding web of thoughts which normally engross our attention. When we begin to unwind we enter into the natural state of just letting things be.
There is a natural rhythm in the cycle of our breathing which can easily convey us into a place of silence. It is not that we have to do anything; we just need to relax and yet remain completely alert in the space between thoughts. When we expand into the present moment, which is uncontrived and effortless, this simple non-movement takes us instantly to the edge of infinity which is the expanse of the true self.
We get so caught up in the little dramas going on in our lives and in our minds; that we take them to be true and real. But if we stop for a moment and look up into the sky, be it day or night and let that vision touch us in that secret, silent place beyond thoughts and words, something can happen. In the flash of an eye our perspective can shift from petty, self-involved preoccupations to the infinite mystery of the universe in which we live, move and have our being.
There need be nothing fabricated in this shift of perspective, it requires nothing but an openness of heart and mind in order to reconnect with the profound mystery of our existence. In doing this, we reconnect with the sacred, and the sacred is free, always available and unbelievably near. Yes, we are that minuscule dot in the vast expanse of the universe but we are also that universe; the one reflects the other in a way that is utterly unimaginable and perfect.
The greatest adventure of discovery that one can ever embark upon is the inner adventure, the adventure that dives deeply into the self; the mystery of our existence and of who and what we really are. This simple message is being repeated again and again, like the beating of a drum. There are endless ways of saying this one true thing and yet the meaning is always the same. The intention is only that we will awaken to the call, hear the sound and dive deeply into the true self. This is the one panacea to end all our troubles and the single most important thing we can do in this world.
Period.
Painting by Cartoonist, Leunig, Australia.