Now, plans and tomorrow

As I observe an enourmous amount of energy rise within as I continuoslly renew my direct connection with the present moment, I also think of tomorrow. I see my desire to use this energy for the well-being of others, my most intimate and profound aspiration in life, traceable to a very early age. Tomorrow, however, will bring what it will bring, including the end of this life, and today, that's OK, too.

What's new?

"What's new?" I'm asked. "Everything" I answer.

Silence, yet again

At Starbucks, a pair of guys ahead of me take their time to choose their drinks. There is no sense of hurry in them, nor in the attendant, fully committed to her young customers' thinking process. I look at the attendant who looks at the boys. The silent pause lingers onward. The next word isn't uttered. As I observe, I see a space to place my order while still being respectful with the boys. I refrain from rushing past them, and as I do, I land present to the bubble that had been quietly brewing. The now has now a strong, nourishing taste of peace and energy.

Only a few minutes later, driving back to the office, I look to my left and see, inside a car, a moving hand. A young man signs, the driver divides her attention between the wheel and the words uttered by the quiet hand.

Suffering and compassion

The daily practice of mindfulness and meditation is softening my heart. In practical terms, the shield that I incorporated so long ago believing that I needed to be tough in order to survive is giving way to openness, to kindness, to a freshness of presence. Actually, kindness is dissolving the armor of protection, the illusion that there's something that needs to be protected. On my morning drive to work today - the air wet with the morning fog - I felt truly grateful for the suffering, for the confusion that at times used to be prevalent. Having been through those trying moments now allows me to experience a deep connection with others, with the universality of the human experience.

Silence

Some words sound better in silence.

The rocking of the cradle

A 5.4 magnitude earthquake, with epicenter Southeast of Los Angeles, was felt strongly across Southern California, where I live, at 11:42am this morning. Gently but steadily, the ground swayed perhaps three times. Present, I observed and waited as the fabulous natural event unfolded, contemplating the right course of action. Once informed that no destruction had ensued, I was left to marvel, no fear in sight. I noticed that my body was giggling, unabashed by the pleasure of being rocked by the earth that gave it birth.

The soul grows

“The soul grows by subtraction, not addition” (Thoreau)

101. A pack of wolves

A pack of wolves
foaming with lust
stormed my cushion
today
hungry muzzles
tearing away the flesh
of my awareness
as I drifted
and drifted
in a daze of waves
floating in the ocean
lying on the bark
of old memories
of fantasies –
a stream
of unreality.

©Ciro Coelho. Pachamama Cabin, July 27, 2008, 2:02pm