Recognizing that all things are truly impermanent can be terrifying. So much of our time in life is devoted to keeping this fundamental reality from creeping into our awareness that we often miss the behaviors that lead us away from the very awakening we claim to want. Once we actually shut up, sit still and actually stop, we find that all sorts of opportunities open up to us. Among the most important realizations is that in our deepest awareness we see that there is no place to hide. Seeing through our habitual patterning renders them impotent and obsolete in the face of what’s really going on. As scary as this can be initially, our practice shows us that it’s also freeing in that we are afforded an opportunity to meet our lives in utterly different ways. After the initial shock of reevaluation and adjustment, this new path of ever-deepening consciousness is usually recognized as an invitation that directs us home. Should we choose to accept the invitation, we are welcomed back into the heart of what we’ve always known to be true.
With this in mind we can begin to meet each and every experience that arises as an opportunity to awaken. Even in the midst of great emotional or physical pain, we see that we are being invited to go deeper. We see that at the center of all darkness an eternal light burns for us, calling us back to our original home. This light is expressed eternally through us, but it’s not usually noticed let alone consciously integrated in our experience.
Meditation, good teaching and good teachers support this profound gift and help it to be realized. Our stillness supports a recognition that we are constantly being asked to return homeward to a heart and mind that are infinite in dimension and scope. Following this path with full commitment helps us and those around us to see that this invitation home is an invitation for each of us to step consciously into an eternal grace.
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