Our Spiritual Companions

Tags

celebration, companions, harmony, spirituality

The warm front that came in last night made short work of the onset of the freezing over of the lake and softened up the ground around it. The activity level of the birds this morning would make one think that it was spring in the second week of December, what with grass full of robins feeding on winter berries and more. Several flocks of geese were overhead, in the lake, and on mounds around the lake.

Not to be outdone, the squirrels and woodpeckers seemed to be highly active too. I believe I had my first ever sighting of a black-and-white downy woodpecker! In the midst of all this activity, I did notice that there was nary a breeze to dislodge the few remaining leaves off of the trees. The starkness of the trees did unveil the dozens of nests everywhere – those which were hidden in plain sight in the spring and summer.

As I stood at the inflection point of one of the s-curves on the trail, I marveled at all the companions who walk with me, keep watch over me, as I often walk these trails. I know that the geese in the pond watch me as they often swim in the opposite direction of my travels. The heron always sees me before I see her, and takes off before I get too close. And yet I know that they are all with me, whether they are in the seen or the unseen.

I am grateful for them all, just as I am grateful for all the fellow seekers, the silent and the vocal, who share their journey with me. We may think and believe that we walk our spiritual path alone, and yet, we would be well served to remember that there are many who often walk with us. Our companions may be known or unknown to us — and yet their energy, and their commitment attracts grace to us all on our journeys.

As we walk our way home, aren’t we also “simply walking each other home?” Are we to really believe that we can undertake the greatest journey of our lives, on the basis of our own strength? If so, then is that not our outsized ego leading the way? It may seem paradoxical that our shared journey is also a highly personal one, but that paradox can only make us more aware and grateful for our fellow travelers.

Nature teaches us that there is great strength in numbers that travel with each other towards a shared purpose. As I listened to the symphonies of birdsong this morning, I was reminded that we can all bring our sweet instrument to the choir. No matter the song, there is room and need enough for the sopranos, the altos, the bassists and the tenors alike. The conductor of the symphony needs them all to synthesize a beautiful harmony. Isn’t it time that we recognized the unique voices of our companions, accept their strengths that strengthen us, and offer support to them other on our journey?

When grace flows, it attracts and gathers many to its banks, and then touches them with love. I choose to believe that that is the way the universe works. It is no accident that when we hear and answer the call, we often find ourselves in a sangha – the company of fellow seekers. In such companionship, where we feel empowered to walk our own walk, we can raise the vibration of truth, awareness and joy for all. That’s cause in itself for celebration, isn’t it?

Kumud

P.S. Join us for our weekly twitter chat with the #SpiritChat community, Sunday Dec 12 at 9amET / 730pm India. Bring your singing voices and we can create some new harmonies. Namaste. – @AjmaniK

Birds of a feather… traveling home for winter

Our Spiritual Companions

Tags

companions, journey, music, satsang, walking

On most mornings, she doesn’t sleep much past six o’clock in the morning. It means that I am up with her too, so that Mom gets to sleep in for an extra hour or so. It also means that if I didn’t wake up before six o’clock, my morning meditation opportunity is pretty much gone. Why? Because it’s tough to sit and meditate with an eight month old puppy who is solely focused on play when she first wakes up in the morning!

So, one morning, instead of forcing her to settle down so that I could focus, I decided I would play with her first and then sit for my morning meditation. A funny thing happened after the first few days. One morning, she decided to come and nap next to me while I was meditating. A few days later, she decided she was going to curl up in the space in front of me as I sat in lotus. Some days, she would actually come sit in my lap as I was sitting – yes, it was tough to focus on those days. 

It has been a few months of this new morning routine now. You could say that I have found a new spiritual companion who “sleeps” while I meditate. I play with her when she wakes up, and she naps while I meditate. It’s a good harmony. She has taught me that it is sometimes better to bend to the new flow of life and create new accommodations, than to create unnecessary stress by persisting with old routines.

In relieving external stress, I have also found new companions within. Some mornings, the non-stop spiritual music that plays in my home-office during the day, becomes my inner companion. The sound of music is sometimes accompanied by the moonlight that is still in the sky as the sun rises slowly. Some days, the companions are the sparkling brilliant colorations of the sunset from the previous day, as it reflects golden orange off of the clouds, and glistens bright blues off of the thin sheets of ice that are floating on the lake waters.

Some mornings, sound and light transition the heart into nothingness. When you return, you know that you have been with that companion which defies description through words. You come slowly awake, and are grateful that the physical world is mostly as you left it, as evidenced by the puppy who is still fast asleep at your feet. And yet, once you experience the company of sound, light and nothingness, there is a renewed awareness of truth, permanence and joy within you.

Celebrate. You have taken another step on the path with your spiritual companions. 

Kumud

P.S. Join us Sunday, December 6 at 9amET for a chat with our #SpiritChat community on twitter. I will bring some questions, we will play some music and gather for satsang with friends, old and new, and walk a few more steps on our path. Namaste – @AjmaniK