Today – another tick in the annual count for she-who-scribbles while her spacecraft steers itself around the sun.
Sitting watching the morning star rise in the pre-dawn coolness, I thought back to this offering, which I posted exactly a year ago on this unlit light blog. It wants to be shared here. I fancy it might be my yearly birthday post, since I can’t find one word I’d change. And I need these words.
Birthdays are a good time to reflect on one’s blessings, and to offer gratitude to our friends for their kindness and thoughtfulness. I always begin my birthday with a gesture of thanks to my mother, who not only gave me the miraculous opportunity for life, but also fostered, nourished and inspired the flourishing of that life in every way possible.
Now in my eighth decade, and delighting in life regardless of its curved balls, I feel to share some of the observations that have delivered me to this joy. It’s the best I can offer; may your mind and heart be able to receive.
Life hurts.
But what you are never feels pain.
Everything changes.
But what you are remains unchanged, eternally.
You’re flat and exhausted and depressed.
But what you are is forever poised as equanimity.
You’re broke, stressed, squeezed dry, homeless and hungry.
But what you are is unaffected and impartial.
You’re smashed by disappointment, betrayal, abandonment.
But what you are is ever calm, accepting and unbroken.
You’re afflicted by physical and mental aberrations, abnormalities, imbalances.
But what you are never suffers for one second.
So what you are is clearly something with which you need to become very familiar. And it’s e-a-s-y to do so. You don’t need a formal introduction. You don’t need a manual or a map or a guide book. You don’t need to change your religion or your beliefs (although changes may well occur as a result). You don’t need a 12-step plan or a meditation practice.
What you are is more obvious and closer than the tip of your nose. It’s the one experience you can never escape, 24/7.
What would you call that? Your aliveness? Your awareness? Your presence? All these words come close, but none are ultimately true or exact. Why?
Because they aren’t yours. Or mine. Or anyone’s. Drop the personal pronoun, and there you are – radiant all-knowing alive presence. The Light of Knowingness, self-luminous, always-on, never-needing fuel or flint…
And that is what you are – free, fulfilled and flourishing as all you conceive, perceive and experience. All of it.
How wondrous that this is possible – that this primordial awareness is huge enough to hold the entirety of creation, excluding nothing – yet be unaffected and unmoved by any expression of its handmaiden, consciousness.
It is truly The Beloved, the Godhead of the saints and sages and poets.
And it is what you are.
Image – Bowl, Miriam Louisa Simons, Japanese washi, threads, cardboard
echoes from emptiness 
Happy Birthday beautiful. Mx
Thank you Melinda – it was so joyful to share those hours with you! 🙂
happy birthday to you, Louisa
But you haven’t aged a bit in all this time
Hehe – ever the poetic view … thanks Mr Redford!
Contented birthday Miriam Louisa. H ❤
Yes dear Hariod – such a blessing, this contentedness. Thank you. ❤
You have a birthday! CONGRATULATIONS – and you are being born each day, as you are showing us.
I Felt such a longing to have and own that bowl – it felt like life without it is simply dreary…just to share with you the PRESENCE and complete utter beauty of that bowl. Dancing bowl. Dance as bowl. Bowl as dance. Yep, bowl as dance. Sigh
I wish I still had that bowl Nina – I’d give it to you. But it lives with someone else who loves it.
It was always one of my favourite bowls, that one. There are more here:
http://wonderingmindstudio.com/nomad-collection/japan/bowls/
❤
Thank you. It is a true blessing to have found this blog and the opportunity to share such wisdom. Happy birthday!
Welcome Allan. I’m delighted you’ve stumbled upon this little blog, and been so kind as to leave a comment. Thank you for your birthday wishes! 🙂
You serve the good wine right up front, how bold and generous are you! ❤
Dear Bob – your own generosity is legendary, so I am warmed by your words. And it’s true – I always did like the vino from top shelf… (wicked chuckles being smothered)
🙂 ❤ 🙂
Many thanks for all !
Thank you for taking! Your company on this life-beam is deeply appreciated dear Dominic. ⭐
m.l.: For several years, have given dharma talks to groups of meditators locally. Your poetry has provided much opening material for the meditations. How many times has this head shaken, smiling with wonder and awe at the clarity and beauty that expresses itself on your blog’s pages ?Countless times.
Oh! How generous of you to share that with me Dominic. Thank you. _/|\_
Happy birthday, Miriam!! And what a stunning piece of yours – gorgeous work!
A double ‘thank you’ dear Patricia – you are very kind to visit, and your feedback is always welcome! (kinda glowing right now) 🙂
So beautiful
I wish there was a way to scatter rose petals in a WordPress comment…
_/|\_
BEAUTIFULLY SAID~! HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY BELOVED FRIEND…
Thank you dear Rashani! ❤
Loved every word of this! It’s as though you have a boundless capacity to encourage.
Such a generous comment – thank you Stephen.
“boundless capacity to encourage” – that’s exactly how I’d describe your exquisite writing and poetry at ‘Grow Mercy’. For anyone reading here who hasn’t yet discovered Stephen’s blog, here’s the link:
https://growmercy.org
_/|\_