Mindfulness (observing without judgement what’s happening in the present moment) is a good first step. We all know that life is fleeting, and if we’re paying attention to the past or future, we’re not really living.
But true bliss comes from a deeper place – it comes from recognizing the miracle that gives rise to our ability to be mindful. There are a couple ways to get there. Perhaps the easiest is simply to contemplate the statistical miracle of what’s unfolding right in front of you: whatever it is, it’s a consequence of literally everything that’s happened since the dawn of time. Period. Full stop.
Quote of the day, “A long line of creatures marched out of the sea so I could hold you right now.” – from a play by Will Eno [translation: cherish every moment.]
To truly see the miracle of this moment, it helps to realize and appreciate the nature of what you (and the rest of the universe) are made up of: various combinations of matter, energy and consciousness.
While matter and energy are in a perpetual state of flux, consciousness (i.e., your awareness) NEVER changes. Obviously, WHAT you’re aware of changes constantly, but your awareness OF those things never does.
What’s the subtlest thing you can think of? A dream? A thought? Even those are tangible in the sense that they are generated and can be manipulated. Consciousness, however, doesn’t “exist” in the same sense; it can’t be measured or affected in any way; it’s literally intangible (yet without it, you wouldn’t realize you’re alive). Consciousness isn’t like anything else known to man; it’s essentially divine; it’s what modern religion refers to as our spirit or soul – the part of each of us that isn’t born and doesn’t die in a physical sense.
How do you go beyond tangible mindfulness and appreciation, to experiencing spiritual reverence and humility – to finding faith? Why would you want to? While our physical, energetic existence is often explained away as biological or scientific, that’s not the case with consciousness. Once you realize its “unearthly” nature, it begs questions like, “Where does THAT come from?!”, which gives rise to faith in the existence of something beyond human comprehension.
Experiment with ice cream [or substitute whatever lights you up]. Aside from nonjudgmentally attending to your senses the next time you indulge (i.e., the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings associated with eating it), also contemplate what gives rise to the experience: your intangible awareness.
Yogis ponder the distinction between, and union of, the observer, observing, and observed (or knower, knowledge, and known). It’s akin to distinguishing between, while appreciating the interconnectedness of, matter, energy and consciousness. Without the former, you and the ice cream don’t exist. Without the latter, you don’t enjoy it.
Appreciating that a HUGE part of who and what we are isn’t affected by desire (for ice cream or anything else), fear, grief, anxiety, stress, aging – you name it, somehow lessens the hold those emotions have on our tangible body and mind, making it easier to cope with things beyond our control (which is virtually everything!), to break bad habits, to look beyond life’s grievances – and to more fully appreciate the people and circumstances of our lives.
Join me in appreciating the miracle of this moment (a consequence of everything that’s ever happened), the miracle of these limbs and thoughts (a biological consequence of the chance meeting of all our ancestors), and the inexplicable miracle of our awareness – without which we can’t taste the ice cream.
God bless, Allan
