The Sacred Dance Of Life
Sometimes we don’t see people for a couple of years and when we encounter them again, we see the marks that time has left on their faces. All of this leaves us in wonderment. We ask, “What is this all about?” only to conclude that it is just life unfolding.
Sojong Reminder from Anam Thubten
Dear Dharma Friends,
The eucalyptus trees are spreading their fragrance. The redwood groves stand tall like they have for eons. Whenever the wind blows, the branches and leaves dance gracefully. This is what you can witness in the hills by the bay. This is what we can actually see. But there are also many secret things going unnoticed, like the redwoods drinking up the fog coming in from the sea. Sometimes the fog covers the whole mountain and it feels like you are inhabiting a celestial realm, but sooner or later it dissipates. In one moment, the hummingbirds are sipping nectar. Then they are gone in a flash only to suddenly re-appear in the next moment.
Sometimes we don’t see people for a couple of years and when we encounter them again, we see the marks that time has left on their faces. All of this leaves us in wonderment. We ask, “What is this all about?” only to conclude that it is just life unfolding. The Buddha described it as a transient reality not to be grasped, but to be held as the sacred dance of life in all its magnificence. This sacred dance teaches us not to hold on to that which is continuously changing, but to simply be amazed by the wonder of existence.
When was the last time that we allowed ourselves to fully witness this magic by looking up into the expanse of the blue sky, by feeling the pulse of life in our bodies, or by listening to the sound of a creek flowing over the rocks? We don’t have to go to a special place on top of a mountain or to a holy site to experience this magic. We can be in a traffic jam, washing dishes, or doing a very ordinary thing or chore. If our hearts are open, we will feel the magic of it all wherever we are.
When such magic touches us, there seems to be no sense of time, past or future. The veil of internal dialogue that hides this magic from us becomes silent. We don’t have to try to stop all of our thoughts, but rather know that we can retreat into that timeless space now and then. It will give us a depth and joy we might otherwise miss in life. As a meditator, one can remember to find time every day to step out of the mental world and drop into our body and the reality of being. We can let the waves of existence wash over us while we drink from life's ever flowing fountains - let them wash away all of our worries and fantasies and free us of all concepts for a while.
During this sojong, I invite all of you as my dharma friends to look back on your path and how you have been living internally. Give rise to the intention to break limiting habits and live in awakened heart and mind as a Bodhisattva.
With palms joined, Anam Thubten