Keeping It Simple

Although I have a very complicated life, the basic structure of my life now is quite simple. Within these simple days, I have all kinds of complications which I want to have. I don’t wish to be without these complications. I want them.

I don’t want to live this life in a state of vegetation. I don’t want to live this life where I have no thoughts, no ideas, no concepts, no anything. I don’t want that. I want more diversity. The more, the better. So that’s what I want. But how do I handle that every day?

For me, it’s now automatic. I don’t have to think about it. I get up in the morning. I open my eyes and the first idea that comes to me is:

I thank you, my Beloved, for my life

and for having another day.

In the beginning it was like a little practice for me. I had to make an effort to remember to say it. There were days I would forget. There were days I didn’t remember until around 11 o’clock in the morning and I’d say, “Gosh, I didn’t thank my Beloved when I got up. I got busy with the things I was going to do today and I forgot the most important thing I have to do.” Then I would criticize myself. I’d get upset. I’d resolve to find ways to remind myself just to be thankful that, in fact, I can open my eyes and my clock is still there and my bed looks the same as it did yesterday. Everything still looks more or less the same even though it isn’t. And I’m here.

This is such a foundation

for my life during the rest of my day

that I can’t even begin to tell you.

It takes 10 seconds. People get involved with 10 hour meditations every day. But that doesn’t compare with 10 seconds from your heart to say, “Thank you, my Beloved.” Done! Then do what you want to do. It’s a life.

Then at night when I’m ready to fall asleep,

I thank my Beloved again for my day.

I say, “Thank you for this day. Thank you for all the things you have brought me. I’m going to sleep and I rest in you.” While I’m sleeping I’m not as conscious as I may think that I am, even though I am, so I’m resting in That. And when I’m resting in That, it means I let be what may be.

I’m not resting in That with expectations that tomorrow will be a certain way. I’m trusting and resting in That because That is always taking care of me. If it doesn’t appear that I’m being taken care of, it just means that I don’t know what’s really going on. I am always taken care of! So that’s what I do in the morning and at night.

For myself I find that, since I am in awe of this mystery that I’ve told you about, many times I thank this mystery just because of the things that come to me. It doesn’t have any clock work to it. It doesn’t have any rigidities to it.

I’m always doing my best to see this mystery.

So if you do those two things and you are also in awe and in love with this mystery, how could it be possible that you would have a miserable life? I guess it is possible, but I don’t think it will be probable.

I am not minimizing problems here. It’s just that no matter what problem may come, how can it stack up against what I have just been saying? How can we allow a problem to become bigger than gratitude for our existence? If we allow it to become bigger, it just means that we perceive a particular problem to be bigger than the mystery that I have been discussing. How can that be! Is the problem more important than to be in love with the Mystery? I don’t think so.