Voluptas Humilis

I want to say one thing before I start on my post: I am not about to die nor have I been diagnosed with some horrible life-threatening something or another. The type of post below is usually posted by those terminal individuals whom are finding an attempt to cling on to what they have left - maybe they have the right idea and are being pushed through forced-enlightenment...

I've found personally; through Buddhist practice, that humility or the act of being humble is a joyous state of being. This is pretty common knowledge even to the layman. There is another part of humility that I think usually goes without saying but it really should be expanded upon - and that is pure compassion and warmth towards others and all life. I look at life in a whole new perspective and reverence to it all. By being humble I feel more connected with people, animals, and plants. To an extent I even feel in touch with inanimate objects and can feel its grace and sovereignty.

This realization came about this past holiday weekend as I sit near a lake over looking the water and feeling the slight breeze. I sat with one knee up and resting myself through my arm on my knee. Gently, a dragonfly landed on my elbow and I could see that it was looking right at me into my eyes. The dragonflies tiny head was cocked sideways right towards my face. We shared a moment together in that moment in time; the dragonfly and I.

I thought to myself "Wow, this truly is a remarkable thing, this moment I am sharing with this organism." I could not say how long we sat together both us creatures. Neither of us moved but in this serene moment I felt one with the dragonfly; one with the insect. I was no greater or lesser than this tiny bug. As I gazed into its two big eyes I felt as if it too were looking into my eyes and felt the same thing. This is union, this is God, this is heaven, this is everything. This is the planet we live on and we're all just resting on the elbow of something else.

I relish in the thought that we're all tied together. The interesting point is that most of the major religions do detail this aspect in one shape or another. Whether we are all God's creations under His domain, an everlasting swirl of life-energy full of rebirths and deaths, or that all is one and one is nothing yet profound and everything as per the Taoist way. Be that as it may, I implore you to seek out your moment and your compassionate time with the next thing that comes you way. Don't swat the fly or the mosquito - let it have its sit or its drink and enjoy the time you have with your brother or sister - your love and your life.

Keep in mind that this is all that there is. Cherish everything and love everything.