Cosmos

Artwork by Tu-2

The weather is cooling but will get into a comfortable range this day.  Temperature began at 64 degrees fahrenheit and the skies were light grey, almost white with tiny patches of blue peeking from behind the veil.  Today is Wednesday.

This morning, a verse came in:  "Existence only knows one tense:  the present."  A reminder that language has created past, present and future.  But the one who seeks to know "reality" has to recognize that there is only one beautiful, fresh, and expansive tense:  the present.  If we get caught up in the past - what has already been, and all the events, people, and conditions of that memory, then we create thirty million opportunities for obstacles on the journey to eternity.  If we get too caught up in the future, we risk becoming delusional.  That's just how the mind works, which is why the path to the Mind is so arduous for those who have been conditioned to live successfully in today's world.

Once again, the news was about all things disastrous in human existence - wars, preparation for war, billions being dedicated to ensuring a win in a war.  When one thinks a little more deeply about how the billions of dollars could be used to provide medicine, a homebase, food, education for those who have none of this – all that can be said is, "Wow."

Is this what we have come to in our collective existence in the 21st century – a time when we know (or could choose to ignore) the fact that we are all interconnected by the cosmos in ways we cannot even begin to imagine.  But we actually don't even have to imagine very much, because so much information is accessible - and not only that - so many visuals of what human misery looks like today, both at home and abroad.  We choose (and I include the self here) to dedicate dollars and support to a win/lose proposition in which billions will be spent to bring into the world, destruction and misery.  One has to ask why we have chosen this path.

Of course, many are trying their best to reverse this horrible tendency to self-destruct.  We are known as idealists, unrealistic, and in political parlance, "the libs".  It's so funny because every time we have a clear example of how people behave after a huge mess, like Maui and the lesson of what happens when one ignores the needs of mother earth (the "aina") - finally, an 'aha' moment comes. There is a natural tendency to help one another, deliver food, blankets, potable water in a place where limited supplies requiring sharing.  It's a phenomenon that lasts for a blink of an eye.  Then, the calculating mind kicks into gear and the aspect of our humanity that wants to be selfish, greedy, profitable emerges.  And the focus shifts from being there under the cosmos together in support of life; to being in separate worlds once again.

To be able to stay in the present:  meditate.  Stop, breathe, block all calculations. Touch reality – even if it's for five minutes.  The Cosmos is holding us.