Saying For Today: Life Itself is not a series of events, Life is Presence. And we are Life being That with and for others, as well as ourselves.
LOTUS OF THE HEART
Living in Love beyond Beliefs
EVERYONE IS WELCOME HERE
*Stillness..., Robin Evans Studio, Flickr
Love's presence is more known not in the giving of information or doing something to help, but being a Presence of Inspiration.
*Arem Nahariim-Samadhi
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Love is exactly what I have often said - formless, indescribable, indefinable, ... Yet, Love is known vividly in the concrete expressions of everyday life. In fact, if you are sensitive to Love, you will see and sense Love more than others - you will see and appreciate Love arising from persons and in places others do not notice. Love is always present, yet, Love in the Heart sees Its reflections through others, everywhere.
An example of this presence of Love, and Its power in small, tangible ways happened to me a few days ago. I am renting a cabin at an RV campsite, in my transition to a new area and new job. I returned from work to find a little note attached to the cabin door. The renter of the cabin left it. She hoped my new job was going well for me, mentioned another possible cabin on-site to rent if I had not found a permanent rent before time to leave the present cabin, and invited me to a religious study persons at the campsite have on Sunday evenings. A simple, short letter, but a powerful one. Why?
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I was surprised at the powerful influence the little letter had on me. Reflecting on it over a few days, I realized I had become more sensitive to the power and inspiration of small expressions of Love, even from apparent strangers. I sensed that my vows to solitude and silence, taken some 19 years before, had grown within me a greater appreciation for the small kindnesses of others toward me. Many might think the opposite, that a life of apparent aloofness would decrease appreciation for others and for what they would do for me. This, also, might surprise persons who have read of my teachings on aloofness as an expression of Soul and on not needing others to fulfill oneself - indeed, if understood in the wrong way, or out of context, these teachings are misleading, and persons living from egoic consciousness are likely to read into them what I would never intend to say or mean. Yet, these teachings are actually a challenge to the limitations of egoic consciousness. Okay, back to our little letter.
I was reminded, likewise, of my role as a Hospice Chaplain, in offering kindness and presence in ways that might not seem powerful in themselves - for, in working with persons whose bodies are dying, there is often little anyone can do, certainly persons, like Chaplains, who do not offer any medical expertise. Yet, that is precisely what the note reminded me of - the power of just a little Love. And what does one have to do to give Love? Mostly, and firstly, be present. This means to be with. This means not to hide from the pain or suffering another is going through. Being present does not mean taking on oneself the pain or suffering of another, but simply being-with, with open Heart.
This is one of the values of a Contemplative Life and Contemplative Prayer - teaching us, training us, about the power of seemingly doing nothing. And, in doing apparently nothing, we learn how powerfully and gracefully Presence manifests through our presence. We could say in traditional terms, God is being present to the other through our being present to the other. In some sense, then, God has chosen to be present through our being present. In some sense, then, if we are not present, God is not present - though, since God Is, God is always present.
Life Itself is not a series of events, Life is Presence. And we are Life being That with and for others, as well as ourselves.
