July 16, 2023 – A

Dharma is the way things are--
"The eternal and inherent nature of reality"--
and our place,
according to Hindu and Buddhist lore,
is to "allow all that obscures 
'the complete essence of everything'
to fall away,
and become aware of/familiar with
our own original nature."

"Our own original nature" shines through
in seeing/knowing what we do best,
and seeing/knowing what brings us to life
by being a source of vitality/enthusiasm/interest/motivation
for us.

What do you want/need to do to the point
of letting nothing stand in your way
or prevent you from doing it?

Don't know?
Nothing comes to mind?
Step into the silence,
open and curious,
and see what stirs to life,
emerges,
occurs to you,
becomes apparent.

Only the silence knows/reveals
the deepest things about us.
Go there often just to listen/see.

Joseph Campbell said,
"Most of our action is economically
and socially determined,
and does not flow out of our life,
from the vital instincts
that direct us to life
and call us forth into life."

He said, "The claims of the environment
upon us are so great that 
we hardly know who/where/when we are.
We are always doing something required of us.
We need a place that is sacred to us,
and spend time there
in order to sort it out.
Find what makes your heart sing,
and see what comes forth from that."

In the normal day-to-day of our life
we encounter one distraction after another.
This is "the noise of the 10,000 things."
In the midst of all this,
we have to engage the silence
in a way that leads us to the immovable center--
"the still point of the turning world" (Eliot)--
that grounds us and enables us 
to see past the distractions
and know the unshakeable truth
of our own inner nature
and to live outwardly in ways
that honor that,
bring that forth
with fealty,
liege loyalty,
filial devotion,
unwavering allegiance,
come what may.

When we live like this,
we have it made,
and know it.
Then, there is only 
being true to it
in every situation as it arises
for the rest of our time on earth.

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