We Share One Life, We Are One Life
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*Christ the Redeemer in the Clouds, John Dalkin, Flickr
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20 Asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, he said in reply, “The coming of the kingdom of God cannot be observed, 21 and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’For behold, the kingdom of God is among you."
*St. Luke 17.20-21, Christian New Testament (NAB)
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The little fish was swimming through the ocean. He was searching for the water. Lost and desperate, he swam up to an old, wise fish. The little fish inquired, "Sir, can you tell me where the water is?" The elder fish laughed, and he said, "Oh! little one, you need not seek the water. You live in the ocean, and the ocean is the water and the water the ocean."
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Where would we experience what is signified by "kingdom of God" or "kingdom of Heaven"? A Buddhist could inquire, "Where would we experience Nirvana?"
Persons across faiths agree. Buddhists say that "Buddha mind" is right here, now, that ordinary mind is Buddha mind. They say that Buddha is here. Early Christians contrasted the empire of Rome with that of God. Jesus is saying, "Do not look anywhere else for the Grace of Life. See, here, see, now."
This is Prayer - wakefulness to Grace. Often we are not awake, we are distracted, we go to sleep. We return to such awareness, for "here it is" and "among us," or, also translated "in us."
We can engage varied practices to inspire wakefulness, to teach us stability in awareness. Whatever practice, it will always lead us to embrace our lives, for our life is the only here and now we have to say "Yes" to Love, Joy, and Peace. And are not such qualities the sign of the Presence of Life? We live in the Ocean of Presence, and in some sense we together, knowing this or asleep, are that Presence.
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We are each a lovely, pure Rose, in the Garden of Grace.
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*You can contact Brian at briankwilcox@yahoo.com. Please keep in mind, when reading from this site, that teachings cover an extended period of years and, therefore, reflect changes over that time.
