What is this life for? Why are we here?
Recently a friend of mine sent me a story that she had written for her granddaughter. It was a story about her life up till the age of about 12. I read it with interest and curiosity. Her writing was very good. I could clearly visualize being there in those special moments with her. It was funny though, while I was reading it, and visualizing, I was also reminded of so many memories from my own childhood. Vivid images flooded my mind. Simple things, special things that I had long ago forgotten.
One memory in particular was a time when I was playing in the backyard of our home on Morgan Avenue. I remember that it was a warm sunny day. I was at the far side of the yard when I caught glimpse of a snail inching its way along the rough wooden fence. In that instant, time stopped for me. I became lost in the moment while watching this tiny creature. I remember observing intently; its body expanding and contracting as it slowly moved along. The grayish brown texture of that slimy skin glistened with the reflection of the sun’s rays, beautiful. Its shell was held aloft, like a prize trophy, smooth and spiraled to the center point. I remember being absolutely amazed by this tiny creature. I could feel its life, its energy. I could imagine being that little snail. I was totally immersed in the moment. I also remember being shocked back into “reality” when my Mother called my name.
I would have been about four or five at that time. The interesting thing about this memory is that I realized, even at that young age, without consciously knowing it, I was meditating. In retrospect, I have actually been meditating my entire life, without knowing it. This meditation, of course, was not the formal type; sitting in the lotus position, fingers touching thumbs, straight back etc. This can be a wonderful practice but I can see clearly that it is not the only route to go. Being immersed in the moment, aware of every sensation, no distraction, fully absorbed in the experience, interest and curiosity, this too is meditation.
Why are we here? What is this life all about? In my heart, I feel that it is all about experience. Good, bad, or indifferent, small, large or in between, it makes no difference. What makes the difference is what we make of it and what we learn from it. All of our experiences happen for a reason. Sometimes we are aware of this and sometimes we’re not. What did this memory from my childhood do for me today? How did it affect my life? It is far too difficult and detailed to explain fully, but what I can say is that it did, in fact, affect me as a person. It played a part in making me who I am today. Reflecting on this, I am inspired to accept the experiences that I am currently having today and truly accept them for what they are. Because I know that they are simply building blocks for the future.
Here’s a simple exercise: Pull out some old pictures from when you were a child. Look at them and let yourself be taken back in time. When you’re ready, close your eyes and let yourself slip away deeper into those memories. Do this for about 5 to 20 minutes. When you open your eyes, write down the qualities that you noticed in yourself through those memories and any thoughts of how they may have affected your life today. If anything else comes to mind (even if it seems unrelated) write that down too.
If the above mentioned exercise doesn’t appeal to you then alternately, you may choose to immerse yourself in a moment right now. One thing I like to do is meditate on a tree.
First I start by seeing the entire tree. This is actually very difficult to do in any detail so next, I look at one single branch. In doing this there is still too much to see, it is difficult to take it all in. So next, I look at one single leaf, I study the varying shades of green, the veins, and the way it curls up on the edges. I carefully study any spots or imperfections, every single detail. I find that it doesn’t take long before I am totally immersed in this moment. In one tiny leaf there is an amazing amount of power that can be felt and experienced in a very profound way, if only we take the time to really notice and appreciate it. This experience, like all others will have an impact on the future. Perhaps it will simply slow us down, help us to relax and appreciate things a little more. Or perhaps the effects may be far more profound.
Enlightenment comes when you least expect it.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO READ MY POST. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO ADD ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
HAVE A GREAT DAY...PAM
