May. 19, 2020

Our Birthright

When we cling to thoughts and memories, we cling to what cannot be grasped.  When we touch these phantoms and let them go, we may discover a space, a break in the chatter, a glimpse of open sky.

This is our birthright -- the wisdom with which we were born, the vast unfolding display of primordial richness, primordial openness, primordial wisdom itself. 

All that is necessary then is to rest undistractedly in the immediate present, in this very instant in time.  And if we become drawn away by our thoughts, by longings, by hopes and fears, again and again we can return to this present moment.  We are here.

We are carried off as if by the wind, and as if by the wind, we are brought back.  When one thought has ended and another has not begun, we can rest in that space. 

We train in returning to the unchanging heart of this very moment.  All compassion and all inspiration come from that.

~Pema Chodron