“My Tree remains”
18 July 2022
crossroads
of million possibilities
dreams and hopes
of anguish extinguished
sun filtering through the trees
crow ah-ah-ing
birds twittering
soft music in my earpiece
mini-retreat treat
come evening
families mill in the park
sundown in the dark
the trees remain
come morning
they stood
as if nothing happened
yeah the trees remain
silent
stationary
reflecting the sun’s rays
So often I have glimpses of the Eternal Now, standing rooted in the midst of life's ever-changing swirling events in my world. Like how whirling with my frame drum in prayer, I felt I was stationary, not moving at all.
The cosmic energies swirl back with its repetitive patterns, as if demanding that I take a closer look again at what I had missed out. What is it I'm not seeing? Something important yet ignored. A dukkha misalignment that is slight but significant. Fundamental misalignment showing up subtly in life.
Speaks of the world.
I am reminded of the wazifa Al-Ba'ith: The Return of What Passes Away. The pain memories and suffering that it brings crowded out my ability to glimpse the light, the gift, the present. According to a Buddhist chaplain, dukkha was only the axle and wheel coming out of alignment. Nothing is broken. Fix the misalignment and the dharma wheel is good to go again.
The returning pattern that comes back for fixing is the grace of second chance. An opportunity for me to delve deep into my body cellular memories or DNA imprints, come to terms with the reality which I hide from myself and release with love and peace for all. It's an opportunity to examen how have I been responding to the pain. Perhaps it's time to choose a different response, one that is more constructive and life-giving than the same old, same old. And as St Ignatius said, act in contrary, in a new way.
For now, the dharma wheel turns. Somewhat with difficulty, like having axle joints of stuckiness, a resistance to move. Rest sounds good. In order to see the root problem, or rather the open way forward. No point going on 'steroids' overdrive and 'plasters.'
Al-Basit: Expansion ... ah, the catch - it comes with Contractions. Compressed, I'll wait for the expansive turn.
The tree remains. It doesn't go anywhere.
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