Each of us is invited to venture deep to the inner self, what I call "The Sacred Ground of Being".

But this is not a building up journey. It is a breaking down one. Why?

We have built so many illusions around ourselves of false needs and desires. Of false crystallisations in limited realities. We've painted ourselves a part within a landscape which is so much smaller than what we are.

I say 'smaller', but that doesn't mean donning a grandiose coat either. The Void is a paradox. Every attachment will be stripped from you as you come into the nothingness.

But when the nothingness can be accepted, can be embraced, then you discover it as everythingness.

And attachment to the everythingness must be let go of too - no idling in false bubbles of bliss!

Bliss will come and go. As will the pain. Let them drift in and out, as clouds across the sky.

When you can accept the nothingness in this way, then what you find is that an energy builds in your consciousness around this void. In the Openhand course work I speak of an 'eye' looking inwards to the presence. Always having 50% of your attention looking in, aswell as 50% looking out.

The energy of this inner awareness will build. It feels like home. It is the centre, the core, of your authentic beingness. It becomes like the mast in the storm.

But it must also be allowed to adapt and evolve, to shape, change and grow.

I'm reminded of my favourite poem by David Whyte, "Self Portrait"...

It's the line... "living with the consequence of love, and the bitter unwanted passion of your sure defeat" that I love most of all. Why?

Because the material will always unwind itself. It will never be enough. You can grasp and cling, but you only ever squeeze the juice from it.

Enjoy it, but let the sure collapse of it carry you with deep acceptance all the way to the loving abode of the one.

In this fierce embrace, even the Gods speak of God!

To conclude with, here's another one by David that captures my point today so elloquently...

Loss is never somethiing to be feared. It is only our resistance to it that causes the problem.

Namaste

Open