In a favorite thrift store (that I love to visit each year when in Portland [It's the Red White & Blue Store in Gladstone]) an authentic moment happened when I slipped past a woman speaking to herself and I overheard her saying "I wonder if there is a measuring cup here" (as she stood gazing at fifty feet of shelving containing a mishmash of kitchenware). I silently found myself joined with her as I continued my passage past. Suddenly, 15 feet onward, I saw a Pyrex measuring cup on the shelf. Cutting through all social protocol as if I was her best friend, I immediately pointed to it and spoke aloud, clearly directing my voice to her: "There it is!" As I continued to hold up my pointed finger, her face registered that I was in her reality. Her eyes followed my finger and upon seeing the measuring cup her face broke into a beautiful smile and she exclaimed "Good eyes!". Unspoken acknowledgements passed between us for the briefest of seconds and I, in the easiest of releases and feeling completely happy, turned and continued my way to the check out register. Sometimes I think it is in moments like these that whole new and wonderful universes are born....
I arise to write this in the early pre-dawn morning hours, grateful that I had chosen the healing cocoon of sleep instead of attempting to compose anything literate at the end of yesterday's rapid-fire, emotionally-stressing 'growing moments'…. because (as I am sure you also know) the process of returning to clarity is so very greatly aided by allowing the mind to reconnect (through deep sleep and meditation) back to our naturally sleep-renewed optimistic 'Possibility' consciousness. Given such 'Possibility' as a guiding presence, challenges can be met with a courageous heart. Given its absence, negative emotions erode our strength and weaken us.
The memory of my son's recent acknowledgement of this…(that my modeling of 'Living Life as a Possibility' for him was one of my greatest gifts to him)…returned to my mind as I awoke. I smiled at the memory, realizing that now each time I remember his acknowledgement he is giving me back the gift of my own gift to him. That it were always so easy to allow our children to lead us, yes?
Just as children are naturally confused when events interject chaos into their normally rhythmic life patterns, on this journey I am confronting that I am in many ways 'a child-like and hermit-like' kind of man. The inner drum beat that calls me on my path is very steady in its message---it beats again and again "more simple, more better". I suspect why I love being in wilderness so much is it is a place where such natural simple reality can be trusted to exist. So....
Yesterday's dense crowds of trinket/souvenir seeking tourists flowing past my art being displayed at the Portland, Oregon waterfront Saturday Market left me feeling more like what a zoo animal must feel--- in other words, mostly something to be pointed at and superficially commented about. And even though it is just part of the social fabric, the ritual of smiling and saying 'Thank you' to the endless stream of superficial compliments is not truly 'the soul food' of any artist or craftsperson. It is however, part of 'marketing' in our urban world, and (as all things can be) it can be used as an opportunity for spiritual practice. As the Dalai Lama has said: "I treat all people equally." (This I think is also one of the very meaningful aspects lying within the Biblical teaching that "God is no respecter of persons".) For me, while practicing being present with everyone what there is to do is to wait…. trusting my 'serious collectors' will reveal themselves when ready. On a good day at least one or two will…
As an artist, I am actively working on finding 'a simpler new way'---one that openly integrates all my self-expressions--- as artist, musician, and the lightworker side of me (which [in case you are a new reader] is about sharing 'The Love Declaration' and these [and other] spirit-based writings). That is what this whole summering journey I've been on is actually about (in my view)… a time to execute a series of self-refining experiments in 'sadhu/artist self-presentation', and to learn what works and what doesn't. Slowly slipping into it, over the summer I have created a widening range of experiences all aimed at fine-tuning my vision of 'naturally marketing without marketing'. In art terms, what I mean is (essentially) to learn the skills of prominently painting in well-selected 'on the street/on-site' locations (also referred to as 'plein aire') and to make initial contact with my future collectors as they pass by, of course trusting that the Divine will send them to me 'right on time'. You must understand here that when I say 'learn the skills' I am not particularly referring to the skills of painting. I am more referring to the skills a non-worldly hermit would need in order to avoid attracting negative attention of the legal sense. (You may agree that because of the monetization/licensing/permitting-requiring/controlling of nearly every activity in our world of late, this is now a skill, yes?) Actually (I am realizing), the skill-set needed exactly matches the skill-set needed for maintaining my spiritual awareness. Recognition of the other as another myself. Trusting in the moment. Paying attention. Remembering the breath. Practicing integrity. Remaining humble. (But please do not misconstrue from this that I am 'in agreement' will all the aforementioned regulatedness. Actually, someone looking at my sign recently asked "What's the 'Rev.' stand for... Reverend or revolutionary?" I immediately answered truthfully "both". He said, "Very good. That's the only real kind".) I liked that guy immediately. In any case....
Yesterday's tourist exhibition was a teaching that 'continuing along the old path of markets and fairs' is not currently a highly productive direction for me, as my daily bread did not arrive despite the accolades of appreciation of my exhibited new work (err…this result could be reversed if the one serious-appearing couple who seemed very interested in commissioning a large canvas work actually chose to do so, of course). As a result, I sense I will be at work this week be creating a newer possibility….perhaps choosing much more gentrified and upscale plein aire urban locations to experiment at. Your blessing thoughts please….
Thursday driving back into Portland (after water-fasting for two days while camping and painting next to a stream near the Tillamook coast) I was in need of drinking water and was thus stopping at the several developed campgrounds along the highway in search of a good spring-fed source. Missing the sign for one campground, I turned around and pulled off the road next to a pickup containing a likely-local man. As a part of my past childhood living was in northwest lumbering towns, I recognized him as a probable logger. He may have recognized me as a 'tree-hugger' but we did not go there… I just asked him if he knew of any sources nearby of spring water. After a moment of appraisal, he said, "You passed the only place I know of about ten miles back", pointing up the road in the direction I was going (but he was assuming I was not going in that direction because I had just turned around (which he had not seen me do). Once I corrected that misunderstanding, our conversation turned to him giving me directions to the waters, but then turned into him choosing to say: "Hey, I'm going up past it right now myself--- I'll lead you there". Thanking him, I began following him but my little Geo (pulling my trailer) soon fell behind ---and thus coming upon a flagman controlled work zone his was the last car allowed through, while ten seconds later, I was required to stop. I wondered what was up, but I soon knew I was in very good hands a few minutes later when (clearing the work zone) he pulled out in front of me to lead again (from the spot he'd pulled over to wait for me, seeing I'd been stopped). Soon I was being introduced to a beautiful little spring-fed falls of wonderful tasting water (which for safety I pumped through my .2 micro ceramic filter) a hundred yards back from the highway. When I told my guide he was 'obviously an angel' he corrected me by revealing the he wasn't 'Christian' ("who are the ones who believe in angels", he said), and was rather 'simply a pagan who loved nature'. As one Sufi principle is that 'Nature is the true holy book', I aligned with that no problem. And as ACIM (A Course in Miracles) clearly teaches (paraphrased) "there are thousands of pathways to truth" (and which thus give you access to inner freedom). I get this (although some admittedly are easier to get than others, depending upon our/my individual conditioning). But because there was no judgement present and active, we conversed without the tension often present when those of different faiths with proselytizing ethics attempt to communicate. To me, this is the will of the True Spirit… the continual recognition that there is never a valid justification for denying the brotherhood/ the oneness. WaheGuru.
___________________________________
Last night I saw the best homeless 'flag' of my life. A smiling older very clean-vibed woman stood at the stop light with a cardboard sign reading: "Any act of kindness will be greatly appreciated". I felt like a man being given permission to be a sharing heart. I had a box of u-picked peaches (another side adventure of the week) next to me, so I held out two perfectly ripe large ones to her as if I was a young man giving bouquets to a betrothed, and proudly shared 'that I had picked them myself' so that she would know they were not green picked commercial fruit. Her smile of thanks made my heart happy, and as I drove on, I also felt blessed.
_____________________________________
I pray for the best for each of you. May you all live this week aware of being loved.
Thank you for your prayers. Life is unified, recognized or not.
No comments:
Post a Comment