A Letter from Neelam, December 2009

A Letter from Neelam, December 2009

Dear Sangha

Early mornings are the favorite time in my day. I love noticing the gentle transition from the contentment of sleep into the awakeness of the senses and into the richness of the inner world … all unfolding in the deep stillness of Presence.

Winter is a quiet time of the year, and the location of my home, away from the influences of others, in the midst of hundreds of acres of nature, supports noticing the subtle changes in the environment.

I love watching the morning sky, just before sunrise, with its magnificent colors, going through the most beautiful changes until the sun is here. It is a soft and gentle sun, much diminished in its power, and yet a very welcomed presence on a cold winter day.

Time alone is the most important resource in my life. It is the time to be quiet, to reflect, to engage in simple activities with no goal or no need to attend to anything or anybody else. Time alone does not necessarily mean to just sit in silence. It can be as simple as walking, driving or shopping in town. But what matters is the inner space, the openness to be present to your inner experience, to see what is really going on and how things really are. I find it important to put my inner experience in prespective, to nurture our inner world and therefore, to strengthen the ability to be Present.

Sometimes we believe that our spiritual life is somewhat separate from our day-to-day life experience. That our practice has a future goal – somewhere, sometime, reaching of the “enlightened” state, where possibly nothing arises anymore and we are “done” with the challenges of the ordinary world. That is how we miss an opportunity to find Presence, right where we are, in the midst of everything that is happening.

Awake is our nature.

Enlightenment is a steady abidance in that.

We are not seeking a fulfillment in the future, we are realizing the fulfillment that is already here.

In the coming weeks I encourage you to notice if the natural contentment of Presence is available to you in your life.

Sometimes we just don’t pay enough attention, but often our life is simply too busy for us to be able to enjoy that. Take some time in this holiday season to quiet down in your life, to simplify your activities. Take a walk, just to enjoy, or sit quietly out in nature, just to listen and see, for no reason at all. Spend sometime with a friend, or maybe alone, in your home with no plan, no urgency and no goal in mind.

Pay attention. Notice that with the lessening involvement in the “outer” world, our natural state becomes much more available and apparent. Rest in that. Allow yourself to be nurtured by the simplicity of what is. What we are looking for is already here, we just don’t always know how to reach for that.

I wish you a wonderful time this holiday season and an easy transition into the new year. May the blessings of Presence be with you wherever you are …

LOVE,
Neelam