Being Alone

It may not come very often that you befriend with solitude. Whenever that happens, life can be intense. Without the distraction of the outer world and social relationships, without a single soul to be seen, you see yourself clearly.

You are not truly alone at this moment. You are watching a trace of my thoughts, which used to be at some point. Not anymore.

It is puzzling for many to observe an introvert, asking themselves what there really is in that moment of silence. The explanation for that is relatively simple, sometimes too simple for a learned mind to grasp. What if there is nothing to disturb you anymore? What if you are at the peak of your anger? What if you are just calm, without thoughts, thinking, or just being?

The fact is simple: we can see ourselves alone with utmost clarity. Life has a way to balance and to re-balance itself. In a moment, a flash of insight may come. In a moment, our minds stop blaming loved ones for mistakes they never made. In a moment, we learn to put down that excessive pride that annoys people. In a moment, we see through our perception of the world change. Life can then be experienced in that very moment.

Yet that moment may not have all the power to change and transform in its own right. There are countless other moments before it, when we are out and about, facing the world and collecting experiences, being happy, being sad. The feelings resemble tiny seeds we constantly grow or let go in our hearts.

Thinking of the seeds, I recall our little garden I played in throughout childhood. Life itself is a continuity of things. Every tree was once a seed. By the law of nature, the strongest may survive and thrive. On the other hand, changes may not come easy because how we feel, think and see this world is so deeply rooted that we may no longer recognize the seeds’ original forms.

However, beware of the storms, for even deep-rooted beings can be up-rooted.

There is art in life. It is not the trees alone that make up the garden. There are the paths, the spaces between them. There is a way to make a good garden. To take the old saying literally, where there is a will, there is a way. There is the cultivation of our inner world. The ultimate way to create a beautiful garden is not just about collecting the best seeds. After all, the chance of survival for a new plant is slim when surrounded by bad weeds. Life is as much about nurture, if not more, than nature. Life is also about cultivating the path, the space between the trees. A path that you can walk on and admire the creation.

May you find peace.

Note: This is a reflection during my meditation practice.