Inner freedom begins by being present in each moment. Understanding life as it truly is, rather than how we think it should be, we begin to explore serenity. As we soften to ourselves we begin to accept our joys and sorrows equally as a part of our being. One is not greater or less than the other; both are equal, and as we establish our consciousnesses in each moment we accept joy and sorrow with compassion.
Being present with life as it is becomes the cornerstone to our practice. When life is going well it can be easy to accept, but when pain and struggle present, as they always do, there often is a desire to change this. Joy and sorrow are a part of life; not attaching to either allows our practice to be constant. Joy always passes as does sorrow; accepting this assists us in navigating our journey through life.
The day I married Roger was a pinnacle of my happiness; the day he died plunged me into my depth of sorrow. But life exists between the pinnacle and the depth and this realization sustains me through life.
My joy allowed me to fall into my grief and grieve, and my sorrow carved out the well that would contain my joy. As Gibran says our joy is our sorrow unmasked, and without one the other cannot exist.
Inner freedom begins when we no longer attach to the illusion of the pinnacle or the depth of our feelings, but navigate all things with compassion and love. In Roger's death I realized that in the deepest and most devastating moments of my grief there existed at the same time joy and gratitude. One did not cancel the other; both enhanced my ability to be in each moment so that I experienced life fully. Each feeling allowed me to unmask the other and in that awareness I was present only in the moment.
Freedom comes when we realize that it exists only in each moment. We cannot change what is past and we are unable to control or predict the future. Understanding and accepting this allows us to experience freedom by being here now. This is where we have control to do the very best we can in each moment and to move on. When our thoughts are tied to past or future events we lose the moment and regret, fear, anticipation overwhelms us.
As you still your physical body observe your thoughts. If they stray to past or future monitor your breathing; do yo experience the subtle difference when your thoughts stray backward or forward? Is there a change in your bodily reaction? Does your solar plexus tighten or relax? Pay attention to how your body responds to past or future thoughts, and then breathe deeply, focus on the present, and allow that moment to be your complete focus.
True freedom exists only here, now, in the moment. Let go of your regrets, anxieties, fears and watch yourself being in each moment. Experience your mind, body, and feelings in this moment. As you do this allow your practice to move to the next moment, the next, and the next.....
By being present now we are free.
No comments:
Post a Comment