August 31, 2020

03

We find the anchor we seek
in the source of our original nature.
We are what we have to work with
in each situation as it arises,
in whatever circumstances
describe our station.

Returning to the Self
is remembering/realizing
the essence of who we are--
reaffirming our allegiance
and loyalty
to the service,
exhibition,
expression,
incarnation
of the grace,
genius,
daemon,
spirit,
character,
virtues,
and vitality
that have been ours
since before we were born,
and constitute our unique identity
among our kind.

Our identity "thus come"
(Which is what they said
about the Buddha,
"The One Thus Come"),
is who we are, 
coming forth
to bless the time and place,
the here and now,
of our living,
moment-by-moment,
day-by-day.

If we are living in light
of some other purpose,
in pursuit of some other goal,
we are on the wrong path,
and we need to redirect
by simply returning to the Self
and bringing our Self forth
to meet what faces us
every day.

It is not what would Jesus do,
but what would our Self do
within the occasions 
and circumstances
that compose each day.

Let us commit ourselves 
to living to discover 
what our Self would do
with the day.

Let us live to allow our day 
to bring us out
like the drum brings out the drummer.

–0–

02

Seeking the center,
returning to the source,
present in the moment,
alive to the time 
that is at hand,
we are ready
to respond as needed
to the occasion as it arises
without anxiety about,
or interference from, 
the 10,000 things
afoot in the world.
Like the moon in its course,
or geese in flight.

–0–

01

We have spent a lot of time over time
as a species
trying to control what happens to us.
Trying to make happen
what we want to happen,
and to keep from happening
what we don't want to happen.

Considering that not one of us 
intended to be where we are
here and now.

We are no more in control 
of what happens and doesn't happen
than we are in control
of what we will dream tonight.

"Acceptably in control most of the time"
is the best we can hope for.
But.
Acceptability is a floating point on a scale
that is, itself, dependent upon the situation.
We are more accepting
of "out-of-control-ness" 
in some situations than others.

If we expanded our acceptability
across all situations equally,
we would be much more in control
of our reactions to our circumstances,
and much less controlled by 
our obsessive/compulsive need
to be in control of everything.

Control is an illusion.
A delusion.
It is not what we think it is.

Pick a day in the coming week,
maybe Sunday.
Not much has to happen on a Sunday,
at a particular time,
in a particular way.
We can blow a Sunday off from time to time
and not miss anything important.
So you might try the next Sunday that comes along.

Get up and step into the day
without having to control anything.
Live entirely out of your whim-of-the-moment.
Do what you feel like doing
when you feel like doing it.
Ease into every moment wondering
"What is this moment calling for?"

Not doing anything here in order for anything to happen there,
or to not-happen there.
Live throughout the day
with no thought of doing this so that will,
or will not, happen.
Just do this so this will happen.
See how things go without being micromanaged.

Live for the entire day without contriving anything.
Not-knowing what you will do next,
or why you will do whatever you do.
Waiting to see what is called for--
like going to the l00.
What has an urgency about it
similar to the "call of the loo"?
Wait for that.
Do that.
Moment by moment.
The entire day.

It will shift your perspective of being in control,
put control in its place.
And give you more freedom to be yourself
than you have ever had
anywhere in your life.

You can trust yourself to know
when to go to the loo
and what to do once you get there.

Just so.
You can trust yourself to know 
what to do when,
or when to do what,
throughout your life.

Simply wait for the mud to settle
and the water to clear.
And see what calls you to do what when.
If you dare.
And, if you don't dare,
you might get to the bottom of that,
asking, "Who/what is in control of whom here?"