Wahiduddin
Beneath the ever-changing waves and turbulent surface of the ocean, there is an abiding peaceful calm which permeates the depths and supports the weight of the turbulent surface. Similarly, each human being has a turbulent ego-driven surface, and the calm abiding peace of Divine Presence deep within.
We need both the surface and the depths, yet we need to allow the burden of life’s turbulence to be supported and nourished by the calm depths of Divine Presence.
When one lives primarily on the worldly surface (the domain of the ego), life seems to be a source of great suffering due to the turbulence and commotion caused by the ego.
But when one balances the turbulence of the worldly surface with time spent calmly abiding in the peaceful depths of the heart (the domain of Divine Presence), all of life is filled with the profound peace and utter tranquility of Divine Presence.
The word “Divine” is used here to emphasize that this calm abiding peace which is found deep within the heart of every person is something which far surpasses mere excellence and defies simple description. Within each person is a brilliantly radiant inner source of beautiful traits such as loving-kindness, generosity, patience, joy and compassion. Indeed, your true essence is a spark of Divinity.
Life is not about “you” or “me”. That is, life is not about the little self, the ego, which most people mistakenly identify as “me”. In truth, life is about the unfolding, blooming, and free expression of the true Self, allowing the Divine Presence to express itself as an endless outpouring of Love in the midst of daily life.
Life is love and the activity of love. -Joshu Sasaki Roshi
Divine Presence brings into one’s life the greatest, noblest and most sublime experiences. It is an inner source which provides perfect guidance and perfect peace. Divine Presence is our ultimate connection to the guidance and perfection of the All-Mighty One.
Learning to recognize and appreciate the difference between the turbulent surface of the ego and the calm depths of the Divine Presence in one’s own life is often called awakening, and is truly a pivotal point in one’s spiritual evolution. We must learn to recognize the activity of the ego, only then it is possible to begin to rise above the self-centered activities of the ego and allow the soul to fill its cup with direct experiences of love, harmony and beauty.
The goal of life is to make your heartbeat match the beat of the universe, to match your nature with Nature.-Joseph Campbell
The little self, the ego, can be a formidable veil between the worldly realm and the spiritual realm, which is to say, between the body and the soul. In those who are excessively preoccupied with, or attached to, the self-centered concerns of the ego, the ego becomes an obstruction, or veil, between body and soul, causing the Divine Presence to be obscured.
As soon as the obstruction is removed, the Divine Presence begins to flow more freely into all aspects of one’s worldly life, bringing love, harmony and beauty to every situation and providing the soul with that nourishment and experience for which it longs so deeply.
Wahiduddin
