When Ready

as a page provides space for a 

story to unfold,

this life is told through

presence

~

So what I do is listen, I wait, and when words come, when they feel right - I write them here. It's a simple enough process and one that has relieved me of my duties as the one responsible for what appears. To a point, creativity is a practiced skill until there comes a final time of letting go - perhaps the skill is still practiced to a certain extent, but the role of an artist is now found as the conveyor of the unseen, unheard, mystery, to this world. Perhaps best said, and a play on ancient Zen wisdom - when inspiration is ready, the  vehicle to express it will appear. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Through Our Presence

and nothing gains purchase - it's this, not freedom from thought, nor cause of emotion, but the wide expanse of what we truly are that gives room for it all to pass. This is the clear sky of our Buddha-nature, the Christ-mind in which we reach forgiveness. Our role is to only acknowledge what is present - from anger, to the need to respond to every petty insult and resentment- we simply allow and then let go. It's all handled completely on its own and nothing lingers past the time of its allowance. 

Through our presence - everything passes, yet we

remain untouched and whole.

~

Peace,

Eric 

In The Space Provided

my faith is in the space provided - it's

from here that I appear,

and there is no doubt of 

my existence.

~

it's the same space offered to every flower, the reach of branches, and the freedom for the flight of birds. Emptiness is given for our existence, it's God in formless pure potentiality, we are expected to bloom, expand, and find ourselves in flight. 

It's simply our nature. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

*I'm often critiqued for using the term "God" and it's just that - a term. I like the word for what it implies to me and since I write for an audience of One, I use it on occasion. 

I'm not Certain of Much

so here it is, this moment - and what can we say for certain? For me it's not much. Each thought that occurs to me is later found to be a belief or speculation, information gathered that once had a ring of truth but can't be proven past the point of my commitment. There's a lot that I would like to believe, I would love for every sage and book of wisdom that offered us some grace to be true. Perhaps some of them are - but do I know for certain? My answer to this is always no. Honestly the next words typed, the very next thought, will all prove to be a mystery. Even longing for a sense of certainty eventually fades to something else. So I've come to recognize that this moment is enough, right now there is no doubt that I exist, and that I'm aware of this existence. That's pretty good, it's big really, because my existence seems such a lovely thing, awareness of it an added bonus. None of this had to be - but it did and I'm grateful. 

Peace,

Eric 

Our Inescapable Trade

empty - and for the sake of

holding only

you

it's in this capacity that I serve

~

It was a moment of true surrender, finding myself sitting across from another, and for a moment, briefly, there was just our together. My own self was absent, and yet to this void a presence was drawn to a greater fulfillment. We became - what we are. This is our inescapable trade of self for spaciousness and then again to a greater self alone. It's instantaneous, and yet here to was slowed for the grace of recognition. 

A gift. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Offered By The Air

as a flower blossom through the 

space offered by the air,

this life becomes in spacious

understanding.

~

Peace,

Eric  

This Moment's Recognition

it's a relaxed approach, gentle, one of simply recognizing what the moment holds without our interference, and in fact even our contrary desires are allowed in this belonging. Am I aware? is the basic question, noting an object, emotion or something as subtle as a thought brings us to this questioning - there's nothing to change, no state of mind to reach, and no answer is even needed. To be aware is its own answer and it's here that we rest in the comfort of knowing that this alone is enough and anything beyond is not for our control. We are aware -because we are aware. There is nowhere else to go in this inquiry, we've come to the bare essential of identity, awareness itself and the seamless, invisible hold of content. To note a tree and trace its every detail back to the simplicity of awareness is to hold its origin as our own. Our capacity to be aware is the essence of love, as not one thing we hold in awareness can be denied, everything is embraced in it's unique profile as one more manifestation of the One. In this way we truly do view the world through the understanding of love and this allows as well our desire for things to be otherwise at times, for these thoughts too are viewed through our capacity as love. 

This might be seen as a practice, a method of some achievement - yet it happens every moment, our default mode of being and the only effort is the gentle reminder of its every moment occurrence. We are not the ones doing this - it happens entirely on its own.

We are just a nod in this great recognition. 

~

Peace,

Eric  

The Way Is Life

the way is life - in full

allowing,

and the grace that comes in 

this recognition

~

We could see it as forgiveness, life instantly accommodating each event no matter how traumatic or distressful, continuing through in singular purpose of simply being. Life itself is never thrown off course and always maintains it's balance. Perhaps our mistake is in seeing life as something that happens to us, something we participate in, instead of being exactly and only what we are. Recognizing ourselves as life, as an aware aspect of the whole - we see that we too are a forgiving force for what unfolds, instant in our acceptance, and resilient in continuation. 

The way is always

life. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

It's In The Asking

it leads to silence - our every inquiry is a question without need of response, the answer itself left open, an expression of our real nature. To ask - where am I? Is to find ourselves without singular location, a body, mind, and extended view of self. In a non verbal sense we inquire through looking first for the solid appearance of the world, objects, others, our bodies, and trace this back to the origin of the seer, a search for a witness that holds awareness of the view - yet still we come to find an openness that defies the need for anything more than the clarity of simply seeing, with each end of our gaze providing an answer of it's own. 

My own inquiry is less a practice and more a gentle, exploration of each moment - returning my sight to it's empty source, and then allowing the world to be within, staying with a sound until again it leads to silence, or asking myself who, or what is aware of what this moment holds. 

It's not about the answer - each question inquires into the nature of what we are. 

The wonder is in the

asking. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Continue To Unfold

to surrender - and even this is a seamless realization of our nature, one thing simply giving way for another aspect of self to be. There's no willful act of letting go, no conscious choice of being what we truly are - it's only a matter of resting in exactly what is, now, and trusting in mystery of what will be. That's our surrender, not one of faith, but of knowing that there's only life, full of motion, change, and that we will continue to unfold within and as this ever changing mystery. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

To What's Heard

through silence - words fall deep in

appreciation to what's

heard,

it's the listening that matters

~

Peace,

Eric 

Infinite Ways

my wish is simple - to write from here, this moment, offering only what's found and what may further be discovered through the art of writing what's received. There's no method to this, no practice aside from being patient and recognizing those rare moments of grace when words are given freely. My role is to show up daily, providing myself as the means for mystery to be expressed through my own unique perspective. Everything else happens on it's own, inspiration, words, and any insight gained - in this way I am truly gifted by the moment, for there are infinite ways that right now could be experienced, and one way is this, these words, and the time given to write freely. For this - I am truly grateful. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

And So I Am

so now, there's no longer even speculation - it's simply the moment and the full range of imagination, wherever that may lead. Nothing needs to be believed or considered an end result of truth. Everything happens within the present moment of existence. It's here where I become, a rebirth from experience yet still original in innocence. It's here where creation takes place and everything ends. Just this moment is enough for me to Be.

And so I am - right now.

~

Peace,

Eric

Curious Meditation

really, it's more a recognition - finding ourselves, first, as empty capacity in service to the world, and only then in every detail we encounter. In this sense everything truly is a self-referral, from the spaciousness of awareness to the objects that hold our attention - it's the seamless reality of one thing recognizing itself in curious meditation. 

No practice needed. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

The Grace It Gives

it's the mystery of one thing, lending itself in 

equal measure as form and

formless -

and the grace it gives to

our existence.

~

I'm not sure any inquiry or meditation will reveal the why of this mystery, how from infinite variables and chance we came to be, and even more astounding is to find ourselves aware as both form and the formless nature that gives us room for this distinction. It's enough now, for me, to simply abide in this awareness, no inquiry, just being exactly, and only, what I am right now. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Words

I make no claim to holding any truth - writing is simply an exploration and then allowing of what's here to be told. It's not even a stretch of imagination or a process in creative art, as each word is an appearance of it's own and the mystery to me is that makes any sense at all. For years I struggled to recognize myself as an artist, my writing was fitful, from spurts of creative outlet to long breaks of uneasy silence. It was in letting go of label, need, and message that provided an infinite template for existing words to find me - no longer an artist, but the space for art to be, not a writer yet words come to page and screen. 

It all happens on its own. 

I have no idea how this all happens, and no desire to explore the how or why - my inquiry is to simply listen, or more to the point allow the listening itself to unfold as a secret whisper to my inner ear. To claim any authority or ownership of this would be to listen to a wrongful voice that's not truly my own. 

It's all a mystery. 

And to write from here - takes no more effort than does the page, words come on their own accord and my only (true) role is to be grateful to receive.

~

Peace,

Eric 

An Entire Season - Simply Happening

it's the immediacy of this - and here, right now, the world is 

filled with green, and blue, amidst the 

spring of my existence. 

~

Taking nothing other than what's given in this moment, color, scent, sound and a light breeze playing against my skin - it all registers as a single happening with myself included. Later, I write about the fresh green of the earth touching the bluest sky, I give distinction to the scent of grass and flowers, birds singing, and the sensation of the wind. Even the sense of being present as a separate aspect noting it all is only added later. 

That one moment was an entire season - simply happening.

Peace,

Eric 

Giving Space

and again this giving space - always in full allowance for whatever life becomes, formless in nature but lending of itself for the solid appearance of the world. In it's availability, nothing is excluded, it's the pure imagination of everything conceived now and still forever. 

It's what we are. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

From Wing and Air

when one thing ceases to

be seen as other,

flight becomes from wing and

air

~

and then too my own observation becomes my inclusion - I cease as witness and join in the simplicity of this flight. 

Peace,

Eric 

In The End

and in the end, who can say if there's a 

difference found at all -

is it the ground that's receiving? 

or giving of itself, open, to

every drop of 

rain.

and in the end, through all of it's distinctions, isn't it
just one thing after all? 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Questioning Existence

questioning existence - is existence.

so too is every answer

found

~

nothing, in my awareness, is outside of this, existence being our present moment reality. So every question, method of inquiry, and meditation, take place within existence. Nothing is excluded and there is nowhere else to look - there is also nothing else to search for. It's all right here. So any inquiry into the nature of existence is self answering.

Peace,

Eric 

It's All Obvious

truthfully, I don't know - there's an obviousness to what I am, solid, thought-full, an object of the world. And just as obvious - I'm not any of that at all. My role as emptiness is clear, in fact it's clarity itself, open, and free in welcome. I'm the space that holds the world. And yet...

perhaps what's obvious is simply that it's all a mystery, that from moment to moment my truth is told in infinite variables and constant variety. 

my meditation now is not knowing, allowing myself the mystery of being what and all that this moment, right now, holds as my becoming.

it's enough to know I am - and 

then seen what 

follows. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

To The Final Truth

so we come to the final truth, an understanding really, that no truth is indeed ever final - and that the infinite expands not from outside us, but as the very fabric of who we are. In this largeness, vast beyond comprehension, we note only temporary facts that suit a given moment in observation, and even then we've since moved on through countless other possibilities. It's this allowing nature that provides a single truth the spaciousness to be, and then to be again in the light of something new. In this way we come to the ultimate reality - no truth is ever final. 

(this may, or may not be entirely true) 

~

Peace,

Eric 

An Invitation

by invitation only - and each moment provides this, mystery being nothing more than our own open nature asking to be explored. Every moment is a truth of it's own, and perhaps the only worthy goal is to offer ourselves as it's expression, a simple allowing of what is, exactly as is, without need or effort for things to be other. Of course the truth of each moment is different, and there may be a sincerity of desire for change - and with this we give action that stands in accord with what's needed. If we listen to the invitation we will hear the moment speaking, our gentle exploration will lead us to the only path available. It's not magical - it's just listening, exploring, allowing, and relaxing.

~

Peace,

Eric 

Distinctions in Seamless Reality

it's all just distinctions in the seamless reality of existence, one thing lending itself to form and again back to it's empty nature, infinite in it's every expression. There is no point of contact from flower to air, nowhere that we could say one becomes the other - in one bud, all of existence has flowered. We too come to our distinction as a delight offered to the world, an arrival from incalculable mystery given a moment to appear. 

In one person, you, all of existence has flowered. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

It's All Contained - And Yet It Isn't

it's all contained - and yet it isn't either, this capacity that holds the world being unseen, without border, and always willing to expand further. The mystery is how one thing is an empty embrace as well as every every object of it's hold. I can sense myself as this capacity, trace a direct line back to that which can't be seen, and find every object in existence held in my embrace. To see all this is to know myself as an equal trade of space for form, emptiness for a solid world, capacity for objects to appear - and it all simply happens on it's own. As witness - I am just one more object appearing, as much fiction as any other story told. What I am is all that seems to be contained, and the mystery that contains it. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

(but in truth, it's just another story) 

Without Story

and infinite drops to a 

single word,

yet rain falls entirely 

without story of 

its own. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Shouting Through The Storm

it's never me - inspiration never has my involvement aside from recording what appears. To find myself struggling is a hint of my involvement, it means I'm attempting to assert my independence from the whole, demand life in full creative force to do my bidding. In such a case (if it were indeed possible) every detail of my artistic life would be small, a force of will shouting directions in a storm and believing it's the wind, rain and thunder. Life is so much more than I could dream of on my own, and in truth there is no need for me to even dream - it's unfolding now in ever imaginable way, in ways that can't possibly even be imagined. One such way is my own continuous unfolding, right now as the story of Eric, yet tomorrow, who knows? Yet always it unfolds as life, not separate from any other story told. Just life. As this - life, what is there to demand? Who would be the one to do the  demanding? I will get nothing more from life than Life itself. And that's enough, more than enough it's the all, the whole, and the infinite display of creation. Why limit myself to a single demand based on a false identity of being small? Life, in creation of itself, through itself, has revealed myself as part of it's great mystery. I played no part in this at all. So to be inspired is to simply stop pretending I'm in control, to quit shouting through the storm, and allow it all to be. As it will anyway. Then, in a moment presented to "me" - perhaps there'll be words to be written down. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

The All Inclusive Now

and the only insight offered - this moment stands alone as our awareness. We are never not aware, and we are always within the present moment. Our thoughts to the contrary are found right here, now, and never take us outside of this. Mindfulness is just a reminder - there's no need to practice being in the present. There is nowhere else we could ever be, even as the mind wanders, we are anchored to the all inclusive now. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

No Greater Awareness

there is no greater awareness - only this, with

every detail of the world

belonging.

~

Seeing this, that we're perfectly, fully, aware at this moment - is the first and only recognition needed. There's arguments of levels of awakening, debates on terminology and which teacher holds the promise of seeing reality at it's deepest level. I have no idea who's correct, nor the proper Sanskrit word for where I now find myself. But seeing is enough, relaxing in the presence with what and all that's present is enough. More so, it's unlimited and open for continuous exploration - from the most finite mote of existence to the infinite expansion of the universe, there's no place that doesn't hold my own belonging. I'm perfectly fine with being here, at once a person in the world and as well the space that holds both the world and person. Life will continue to unfold, and with this comes new avenues to explore. Everything may change - yet right now, we are perfectly, fully, aware. 

Peace,

Eric 

By Mystery

and it comes down perfect - that drop of rain to a certain blade of grass, lingering in it's slide to reach the earth, just a moment in my gaze before it all continues. It's the unearned grace of observation. The world is filled by mystery. 

~

Peace,

Eric