Sometimes we can believe ourselves to be ‘feeling’ something when in fact we’re thinking about it, coming up with theories and ideas, concepts and beliefs about it. All of these, no matter how noble they may seem, serve to separate us from the direct experience of right now, and it is direct experience – of ourselves, of life, of everything all around – which is the essence of this time.
The more we can be truly and fully present - conscious in each and every moment of the very breath which leaves and returns to our body, of the air on our skin, the thoughts passing through our minds, the emotions arising and passing away - the more deeply we can come to know the truth, the deepest truth, of this powerful time.
Everything I Dare To Call "Mine" is Fleeting
This truth, this deep, abiding truth, is not one that lends itself to words, which speak first to the mind before they enter the heart. Whilst words can point to it, we can only ever know it through every cell of our being, every beat of our heart. We cannot know it through thought, concept or understanding, no matter how sharp our mind may be. For this truth is not of the mind. Instead it places the mind in its rightful place along with all other conditioned things.
This truth is of an order beyond all that appears so solid and real in our world. It throws everything into sharp relief as it reflects back to us the fleeting nature of anything which we dare to call ‘mine’. For there is no possession, no ownership, in this place of truth. Thought is just thought. Emotion just emotion. Identity becomes something we can pick up and put down at will, as and when we need to. And the need becomes less and less the more we can dwell in this still abiding.
We Are Full of Striving, Stress, and Activity
And yet, here we are as human beings with these busy lives, full of striving, stress and activity. How can we ever reach such a place of peace and knowing when we have so much to get through each and every day?! It may not be as difficult as we think. Which is a wonderful example of how our thoughts frequently work against us!
Yes, energies are still intense and there is constant change happening within and around us, but what better time to commit to being as fully present as possible? To step out of thought and into awareness. To look out at the world not through the eyes of the mind but with the vision of the heart which knows without thinking and cannot put into words that satisfy the mind, what it knows without doubt.
Only What Lasts Can Bring Us to the Truth
When life is imbued with a feeling of urgency and there is so much to be addressed, processed and responded to, we can easily struggle to recognise the ultimate truth which underlies all things, a truth which my favourite poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, recognised when he wrote:
‘We are the driving ones.
Ah, but the seed of time
Think of it as a dream in what always remains.
All that is hurrying soon will be over with.
Only what lasts can bring us to the truth.
Young man! Don’t put your trust
Into the trials of flight
Into the hot and quick.
All things already rest.
Darkness and morning light,
Flower and book.’
*subtitles by InnerSelf
This is a portion of an original article
which was published on astro-awakenings.co.uk
About the Author
Sarah Varcas is an Intuitive Astrologer, committed to decoding wisdom messages and applying this wisdom to the experience of our everyday lives with all their challenges, rewards, twists and turns, revealing the bigger picture to assist all of us in navigating the road ahead. She is deeply committed to the notion that 'we are all in this together', and can often be found reading her own words to remind herself what she should be working on today! Her own spiritual path has been very eclectic, spanning Buddhism and contemplative Christianity alongside many other diverse teachings and practices. Sarah also offers an online (via email) Tuition and Coaching in Intuitive Astrology course. You can find out more about Sarah and her work at www.astro-awakenings.co.uk.
Recommended book:
A Year with Rilke: Daily Readings from the Best of Rainer Maria Rilke
translated and edited by Joanna Macy and Anita Barrows.
A Year with Rilke provides the first ever reading from Rilke for every day of the year, including selections from his luminous poetry, his piercing prose, and his intimate letters and journals. Rilke is a trusted guide amid the bustle of our daily experience, reflecting on such themes as impermanence, the beauty of creation, the voice of God, and the importance of solitude. With new translations from the editors, whose acclaimed translation of Rilke's The Book of Hours won an ardent readership, this collection reveals the depth and breadth of Rilke's acclaimed work.
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