During meditation I settled into my breathing from the abdomen and soon realized that the main attention of my meditation was going to be surrounding non-self and thus interconnection and impermanence as well. A common trio in my meditations.
Immediately I noticed the noise of someone chopping up the ice in their street gutter with some sort of tool and I was transported into their situation and experience of that moment. I experienced the focus and concentration that they must have been feeling while doing this task. Experienced the satisfaction of chopping up the ice so that the water might flow freely away from their house. I experienced their muscles, heart and entire body working harder to accomplish the work. Then I heard a woman's voice talking to the other person about the chore and realized her encouragement and desire to help. In that moment I too was encouraging the person doing the chore.
Soon they finished and except of the occasional whiz of a car--silence returned to the neighborhood.
Then I heard a train off in the distance sound it's horn. In that instant I was with the driver and could feel the vibration of the engine as it slowly and mindfully churned through the intersection. I thought of the joy or maybe stress and frustration the worker was feeling as they moved along in the engine. Realizing their concentration is a meditation no different then the concentration experienced in formal, sitting meditation. I was also with the people waiting in their cars to get moving again when the train passed. Perhaps they were annoyed, angry, peaceful or feeling neutral as they waited. I thought of the family of the train driver that might be reliant upon the workers money received for the job and felt their pride and connection in their working relative.
After a brief time the train's horn blended into the distance of space and time and I was left again with silence.
A short time later an ambulance rang out near by as it sped along to possibly save someone in distress or return to the hospital. I experienced the adrenaline that the medics must have been feeling as they weaved through traffic. I was with the patient in need as they experienced pain and suffering and I held their hand. My other hand held the hand of the loved one that might be waiting in stress and horror as their loved one was in extreme suffering and pain. I breathed with them for a time until the ambulance faded into the distance. I thought of the doctors and nurses waiting at the hospital to work on the person in need of emergency assistance and smiled at their compassion, commitment, service and dedication.
This self blended into the ups and downs and side to side of each of these moments as they blended together like a rainbow in the sky after a rain storm. It was all there. The pain, pleasure and neutral feelings but no attachment to them. Just experiencing them and being apart of those moments. Nothing to do or undo. Nothing to fear and nothing to force. All things unfolding as they would without any stress or desire to try and control the stream of consciousness moving through and along side of this (for lack of a better term) "body."
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The picture is of the final product of my Buddha tattoo on my left fore arm. My tattoo guy did a WONDERFUL job with it and I can not help but stare at it through out the day and feel peace and tranquility radiating from the art. Sure it's just a symbol, however, symbols can be very powerful and helpful tools to remind one of the Dharma or a myriad of other pieces of information. Symbols convey ideas and importance without using many words and so they are often offer a more direct path into one's consciousness. Every time I am out and about in the rapid paced, dualistic world and I look upon this tattoo I will be reminded to take a deep breath and return again and again to the present moment of the middle path. As well as reminding me that peace and mindfulness are present and available in any moment of any situation.
~Peace to all beings~
