Surge Thirty five (Advanced)
Uncovering Newness
As yet another New Year begins, and we have celebrations as usual, it is not easy, all the same, to free our hearts of the aches of the years gone by. We move in to the New but the shadow of the Old follows us.
Imperfections are one problem, no doubt. Agitations over our shortcomings, brooding over the past mistakes and failures is a second problem. In other words, thinking about the past is the real problem and not the past itself. Peace and silence greet us the moment we stand apart and watch the mere, mechanical habit of the mind. See the difference: the mind thinks of the past and we are aware that the mind is thinking of the past. In the second case, we have already discovered a space within ourselves in which there is relief from the tyranny of memories.
Let memories come; we are not to suppress them. However, let us not identify with them and ride over them to destinations that are more often gloomy than illumined. Let us move from shadow to light; from thoughts to the awareness of thoughts. We are NEW, standing as unbiased awareness; we are OLD when carried away by the gushing conclusions and judgments.
We stand on “I am”. There is, “what is”. Thirdly, created by thoughts, there is, “what should be” or “what should have been”. People who are busy in the third ring are most miserable. Those who hold a clear view of the second ring, “what is”, are the practical people. If we stay firmly at the center, “I am”, and notice the two rings of thoughts in a natural way, there comes about an inner transformation which is the quiet revolution of life.
Take the lid off. You ARE ever new. Celebrate the NOW, which is all there is.
Wishing you a happy 2005 (which is the NOW displaying itself in myriad colors),
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S Chidananda
January 4, 2005