Simon Goland

Posts tagged with "presence"

Spring is in the air

Tuesday, 21. March 2006, 06:35:32

: Today's Reflection is about the time of Spring, time of
: renewal, of new beginnings, of the emergence of dormant
: seeds.

The state of unrealized potential. The moment when nothing overt and apparent is happening, externally. Like in the Winter, when everything appears asleep, dead, or non-existent. And then, the Spring arrives, engaging the accumulation of the past into a single moment, when something says, "Now!"

Akin to a seed that spent its winter safely tucked underground, seemingly doing nothing, yet spending the time doing the magic Mother Mature has been teaching it for millennia. Preparing for this single moment of feeling the first ray of the Spring Sun, receiving the "Now!" signal - and springing to life, bursting from the safe and cozy underground residence into the visible world, proudly announcing its arrival and birth. Not only that, but it already knows what will it be and what will it grow into, because that knowledge has been with the seed from before the beginning of time. The unrealized potential was already present, underground or beforehand.

What if it is the same with us humans?

:: "You see, an extraordinary evolutionary potential exists
:: constantly, but it will remain latent or unmanifest as
:: long as we allow ourselves to exist in this state of inertia,
:: of resistance, of selfish withdrawal. " - Andrew Cohen

From a spiritually awakened, evolutionary perspective, we don't have an infinite amount of time. Time to do what? To do the most important thing there is, which is to participate in the evolutionary process. In the unawakened state we might think that we have all the time in the world. We feel that we have had a hard time and need to rest. Of course we will participate... one day, but not quite yet.

Our extraordinary evolutionary potential exists constantly, but it will remain latent or unmanifest as long as we allow ourselves to exist in this tempting state of inertia, of resistance, of selfish withdrawal.

This is all wonderful, and yet begs a question. How does one know what their potential is?

:: "Muddy water will become clear if allowed to stand
:: undisturbed, and so too will the mind become clear if
:: it is allowed to be still." - Deng Mind-Dao, Taoism

Perhaps I will leave you with a question here. What is the seed that has been dormant within you, and is getting ready to come out this Spring?

A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
Simon

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Red Dust

Monday, 12. December 2005, 01:18:20

tao, stillness, eye of the storm, presence ...

: Today's Reflection is about a quiet moment, right there
: in the eye of a storm.

I recently heard an interesting expression - "it is a two dog's night." On a very cold night, it is a good idea to have a dog sleep on each side, acting as a heater. For me, Sunday was an extremely decadent day, which started as a "two dog's morning." It wasn't cold, but certainly cozy. Tea, a book, wagging tails and cold noses; most importantly, it was finally a morning to "take it easy" and slow down. The previous period was full of events, visits, trips, and seminars. And the future looks full of upcoming surprises, which made Sunday even more precious, savoring each moment of slowing down, being still, and enjoying the peace and quiet.

"Wind stills the bamboo,
But once the wind passes
The bamboo is silent.
Geese land in the chill pond,
But once the geese fly away,
There are no reflections.
In the same way,
Once the red dust passes,
The mind is still."
- Deng Ming-Dao, Taoist Meditations

Taoists often euphemistically refer to the affairs of the world as red dust. These are the affairs that are hard to brush away, yet equally hard to hold on to. Burdened by all that needs to get done, one might find that it is tricky - to say the least - to stay centered and calm in face of the storm of these affairs.

The center of the storm, the eye, is a fascinating place. In it, there is nothing to do. Time somehow slows down. Senses heighten, both towards the outer world, and even more so, within. The focus sharpens, laser-like, on a single thought, until it is exhausted, explored, digested. The dust has settled, at least for now.

A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
Simon

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