My Own Seasonal Grace

it's my own seasonal grace - that it all occurs within and as my personal experience, and every thought and mood passes through this all allowing field. Nothing will last beyond the moment its been given, having a season that belongs to its own length and rhythm, an understanding that defies my own wish for perhaps another, different season. It's here that grace is delivered through not my own merit, but by virtue that life is constant in the changes that it offers. There is nowhere else to go, no meditation to escape this moment, and only a means to simply welcome what is and always now, whatever season that may be. 

Because It's So

because it's so - and in this, our argument against reality, the present moment, is done. This is our only awakening, that what we experience now is accepted not through our volition but by virtue of its appearance within our life. Allowing isn't a personal verb, it's the grace of recognition of what is, and the equal grace of knowing that all things must eventually go. We are not mere passive observers of this, we are a vital force participating as the whole, life itself  in full display of possibilities. As this - nothing is denied. Our pain, every deep ache, and longing, belong just the same as every wish fulfilled. Even our refusal to all of the above, a continued fight against what's found this very moment - simply comes to this allowing on its own. 

Because it's so - and there's nothing we can do

until the present moment unfolds as

something new. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Truly We Don't Know

it's truly that we don't know, an impossibility of nothing that leaves us firmly in the grip of indescribable mystery. Today I viewed tree forsaken of leaves that just days ago offered a bright display of color, it's a seasonal conclusion to the vibrant life brought by the green of spring and summer. I understand this cycle, a witness to the seasonal grace of season coming to an end in the same moment another comes to begin. Yet what mystery urges an exact wind to reach a leaf that clings for just this instant in its reach? In the aftermath of its fall, what will be nourished in its decay for a spring release? Is this new life separate from that which offered itself for its arrival? There's an interplay of life, everything touched upon another so seamlessly it's impossible to say there truly is another. This includes my observation - my inquiry lending me to this unanswerable moment of wonder. I don't know anything beyond seeing a tree in the autumn of its existence, the experience of my observation, and the mystery that somehow brought this moment all together. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Loss Of Meaning

there's a loss of meaning - words such as allowing, forgiving, and surrender, all actions of their own without my aid or interference. These are concepts assigned to a natural order. I am not a force that allows or surrenders, there is nothing to forgive once the moment of occurrence is over. This all happens on its own and only later do I come and claim to be the one of doing. Yet still I like them as ideals, holding less meaning only diminishes my role of importance and not their own natural function. I now recognize that something is allowed by virtue of its appearance, forgiveness simply happens once the instant passes, and surrender is just this moment and the subtle nod to all that's present. The meaning is lost because I'm no longer responsible to make any of this happen, and in truth, never was at all. 

It all functions completely on its own.

~

Peace,

Eric 

Old Wounds/Present Hurt

I’m amazed that old wounds still find news ways to haunt - it’s not a matter of forgiveness, letting go, or positive thoughts. What hurts - hurts. And often will for a very long time. Instead of changing focus, or inquiring into the nature of my wound(s) or even a deep dive into who it is that experiences this hurt - it’s enough to simply open to it, again, and even again as often as it’s thrown my way. There’s no escape. Today’s hit came by blindside, an instantaneous stab on sight. It wasn’t even specific to me, a witness to a confession where I was a casual aside to an event that once shattered my life. So here I am, embraced within a hurt that leaves me no option but to return its embrace and let it be without question. There will be time for that, introspection, inquiry, a note that it all occurred within an all allowing landscape of peace. Knowing this doesn’t remove the sting - but perhaps it helps keep the long view in sight. I wrote earlier today about participation - and I hear I am, participating in this aspect of life called heartbreak. I don’t like it. I don’t have too. In fact I don’t have to do anything at all - but simply know it all belongs. No one gets a pass from life. Any of it. It’s enough to be alive. Sometimes a participation trophy is its own, best reward.

Peace, truly, Eric

Participation Award #2

it's the impossibility of dodging raindrops through a storm - we are participants by simply being present, becoming wet with the reality of rain. So too there is no escaping any aspect of life, each thought is welcomed by virtue of its appearance, emotions occupying a brief moment of our mind. We are participants of life - simply by our presence. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

No Matter

no matter - and it's just this, whatever each moment may hold, life continues in its flow, and our discomfort, or most cherished gift received, last through the same effect of time. No matter how we wish for things to turnout otherwise. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Of Our Own

of our own - and with deep appreciation for insights offered from another. Yet it's this moment alone that informs us, a grace given that provides its own understanding. Beyond this - there is nothing known for certain, no words to confirm, nor deny the reality held within this instant. The moment stands alone. 

And nothing more is needed. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Sadhana

sadhana - and we find ourselves released from the path with the realization that this moment alone is our practice, an allowing grace of just this, whatever now is found, and whatever more unfolds. This grace, unearned, and fully ours - with nothing left to do, no practice remaining, but to relax in this awareness. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Only This

without addition - and too without need to 

avoid what's held within each

moment

there is only this

and nothing more is really known- until 

another moment follows. 

~

Peace,

Eric

Less

and now - less an artist than perhaps a brushstroke, or 

written word given to the page.

there is just, and only, this 

one expression. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Expressed

what will be expressed - happens 

entirely on its own

yet always 

to the page provided

~

Our role is easy, be present, alert to inspirations spontaneous arrival.

Peace,

Eric 

It's That Rain Falls

it's that rain falls, and just like thoughts, words, and

every object through awareness -

there is only, always, this

allowing 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Relax

and for me, the insight is to simply, only, relax - allowing happens through no effort of my own, and what appears is always allowed by virtue of my observation. The desire to try and change events, to shift my emotions to a more agreeable state, may still surface - yet that deep sense of fear presented to what's occurring, or the deeper fear of what's to come, no longer drives me from this moment. To relax in the presence of this, no matter what it may be is the openness of being alive. As Roman playwright Terence claimed -"I am human, and I think nothing human is alien to me." So too for me - and in this I find myself relaxing. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Our Own Revelation

it's always our own revelation - awakening to each moment in spontaneous fashion, exactly as it is, and allowing what appears to simply reach us on its own. There is no need to strive for insight, we are given this, right now, and all the moment holds.

~

Peace,

Eric 

Gift of Not Knowing

it's the gift of not knowing - allowing words to find the page through the means of their own arrival, abiding in the space that precedes and invites their presence to the page. This too is our own inquiry, simply noting what's before each coming thought, a willingness to not fill a restful moment with beliefs of what we should be doing, or who it is what directs our course of action. It's just letting things be as they are, right now, without demand for things to be other, and more - without need to know anything else than what this moment offers. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Disbelief

there's magic in disbelief - allowing ourselves the freedom of not owning what appears to world or mind. It's not a matter of doubting the senses, nor what our emotions may hold - there's a subtle distinction between what is the real and what's true. Our inquiry is explore this distinction, what appears may certainly feel real, solid, and very much important - but is it true? Disbelief is simply withholding certainty, discarding layers of long held beliefs for the spaciousness that always belongs just underneath. We are not really even searching for truth -  just allowing reality to reveal itself each moment at a time. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

To Bloom As This Appearance

appearing as - and this is always our story, emerging seamless as an aspect of the whole, unique, yet never different from any other appearance too. We are a bloom to some eternal flower, through light and conditions found just perfect - we are aware and know ourselves as this existence. Our expression is without effort, no will to be, a simple grace to bloom as this appearance. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Never Just

it's never just - there is always a seamless inclusion that tells a greater story. This autumn leaf, drifting from branch to ground, carried through a reach of air belonging to the farthest touch of stars, and now my own observation joins within the whole. One leaf is the sum total of existence - everything traced back in continuation of infinite appearances. 

It was never just a leaf - there was

always our inclusion. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Without

without - and that's our inquiry, of what's found with each label now discarded, exploring what remains in space that once held our most cherished beliefs of who we think we are. There's no need for great effort or the use of imagination - simply take aware one idea of identity, without the thought of being a Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, or even placing value on a faith at all, what's left now? If not self assigned to any political party, or concepts believed to define the issues of our time - is there really a line drawn for our division? We can take this inquiry far into an exploration of what we are right now without the addition of thoughts and beliefs that cloud our true sky nature. It's a simple matter of asking...

~

Peace,

Eric 

It's Enough To Know - I am

where do we begin - and in the absence of finding a single point of becoming, do we exist as a separate self apart from the whole of all existence? I find my own reach to simply be an equal embrace of space and form - no break from air to skin and back again. My view is inclusive to what's found, demanding nothing other than the entirety of its field of vision. Every sense takes only what is given, making nothing of its own, responding from the still point of being. I make no effort to think, breathe, feel, see or hear. It's all one great occurrence to which I am grateful to find myself in belonging. I have no idea how this all came to be, why I find myself aware of this occurring moment of existence. It's all a mystery. 

And it's enough to know - I am. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Yet Only, Fully, As Existence

I exist - yet only as

existence,

yet still a life is fully lived.

~

There is no sense in denial of what seems and feels as an individual life, even if in light of inquiry no such self is found. We appear as an aspect of the whole, given to moments of feeling as if we're separate and alone. Top awaken is simply regaining sight of our completion, just as a a flower opens from the bud, reaching out through space and light, rooted firmly to nourishing earth, yet at once never found separate from either. There is no denying its essence as a flower, and too the reality of its one existence as earth, air and light. 

It's all one thing touched upon itself in imagined union. 

An aspect never breaking from the whole. 

I exist - yet only, 

fully, as 

existence. 

Peace,

Eric 

Room

room for this too - and there is, always. Perhaps this should be our true mantra, a soft repeated remembering of what we are as spacious capacity and too in our finite humanness. It's nothing special, we are expansive by nature, an allowing presence of indiscriminative taste. This happens entirely beyond our own volition, indeed, even our refusal of this acceptance instantly becomes accepted without terms or demand to be otherwise. There is always room for what's occurring, and room too for what's to come. It's simply what we are. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

On The Basis of Nothing

on the basis of

nothing,

beliefs layered to a false 

self constructed 

~

It seems pointless to argue on the reality of self- we can deconstruct ego and come to a conclusion that points to a realty absent of any fundamental sense of self. We can literally point to our own empty nature and "see" what this absence holds. Yet this dismissal also seems to do a disservice to our appearance as a unique person belonging in the world. What appears is sacred by virtue of its brevity of being, our singular moment to this expression of the whole. This particular sense of self will/may never occur again and should be treasured for the mystery and miracle of its appearance. At the same time, a full embrace of its impermanence, fragility, and tendency to grasp for a lasting sense of purpose will open us to the spaciousness that surrounds and pervades this sense of self. We are - and we're not. At once. Our freedom lies in this acceptance. In this light we are truly in the world, but not of it - yet even more, we are capacity for the world, as well as a unique, extraordinary aspect of it. 

Peace,

Eric 

Each Instant Stands Alone

it doesn't have to be anything other than this, whatever now the moment holds - each instant stands alone, empty of any true influence outside of its existence, always fulfilling itself with exactly, and only what's occurring right now. 

To this - our natural surrender. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Everything Now Belongs

not this...not that - and as such we 

come to exactly what 

we are

~

It's the dismissal of items, from thought to body and further still to the objects of the world and in this we come to later find a single great inclusion. Yes, we are not any one thought, nor thoughts gathered and lingering to form a belief of who we are. We are not a collection of body parts. Everything we thing we are is easily dismissed. In the end, not this...not that...reveals absolutely nothing at all. We've come to our own conclusion. Yet this dismissal doesn't separate us from what was left behind, yes, I am not this but still it's appearance belongs for whatever length of stay. In the emptiness of this great revelation - everything now belongs. 

Peace,

Eric 

Of My Observation

the inquiry is to note the seamless - from drifting 

leaf and the breeze that 

carries,

to the moment of my

observation.

there is only this existence

~

Peace,

Eric 

Giving You Another Story

it's simply the story line told to ourselves for the length of a lifetime - and not even totally one of our creation. From first breath to name and further on to later years, we've inherited beliefs on who, what we are, with seldom a question otherwise. We've accepted words given from parents, teachers, clergy, and media, adding each to the make believe life of design. Sometimes they serve - mostly they confuse and almost always they go unquestioned. We repeat these stories, adding fiction of our own making to bolster our (self) appeal. Yet nothing we tell ourselves is truly real, no story illustrates reality no matter how well told. Even the ones that may prove helpful for a time fall short in any meaning they provide. Certainly we could continue with the stories, there seems to be no harm, and they do aid in navigating difficult times. Except they're never real and always limit what we truly are - which is something that can't, won't, be defined by any thought, emotion, or word. But we may know it by the absence of any of these concepts, or the space that lies between them, or the stillness that precedes it all. If we ask who, or what we are, dismissing each answer that quickly occurs and examining ideas that linger - we come to a silence, spacious truth. That's the absence of stories. It's also where we recover from all we've inherited and added as false labels to our original untouched promise. It's where we rest. Just seeing stories for stories provide us access to this ever present promise, it delivers us a ready smile and spaciousness that allows us to relax, if even for a moment, without the constant narration of our life being told by false, outdated ideals. 

Of course, this too is just a story. Words. Ideas. 

Question this, hold all beliefs 

lightly. 

Let your own truth unfold. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Not This, Not That

this great lessening - not this...not that, without conceding to

demand or belief of our becoming. Until the 

simple, only realization is -

we're nowhere at all.

yet still, we somehow find 

ourselves 

aware. 

~

Peace,

Eric

*(and too, eventually even awareness...not this, not that)

The Unseen

it's apparent - even though always unseen. Every bird has faith in sky and wind and knows its truly home in the emptiness that holds it in flight. What's apparent is life in continuation as the unseen invitation to soar, nothing offering itself so something solid can occur. Our flight is grounded - but we are not separate from the bird. 

The unseen invites us all to be. 

~

Peace,

Eric 

Effect, Effect, Effect

it only appears to be karma, it's not really cause and effect but simply, only, effect...effect...effect...in endless supply without a single true cause to believe in. Our freedom is found beyond the illusion of believing that something had to happen. We are not bound to any timeline, nor attached to a karmic path of any direction. We are unbound and free - as we are. Right now. 

~

Peace,

Eric  

Maybe Truer Then Before

with each item dismissed we come to a closer understanding of self, not truth in an ultimate sense but simply truer then before. It's in knowing that we aren't this alone, this body, mind, emotion or even concept of identity - the self that's come to is not a real self at all, but an aware capacity serving to hold the world, offering itself for life's fulfillment. Yet even this eventually finds itself dismissed as a state to be observed, again not the final truth of what we are. In this light, what we might find is that we are no-thing at all, negation itself in constant revelation of its infinite potential to be and not be at the very same time. Our reality is simply endlessness itself, life in constant fashion played through original, empty nature. But as these words too come to be dismissed - again, I find myself as nothing ultimately true at all.

But maybe truer then before. 

~

Peace,

Eric