Xmas present appearance
…Christmas arises in a great open spaciousness in which everything is allowed:
the joy, the pain, the frustration, the whole damn mess
that is this strange and beautiful thing we call life.
All things arise, stay for a while, and pass,
but what is beyond all of this is the simple and obvious presence
that is this moment, and this, and this.
Present sights, present sounds, present smells, present ideas of "me and my life",
or "me and my xmas presents".
That's it – and to think we spent a lifetime searching for something more!
Just this present appearance, which includes everything,
so that it's not really a "present appearance" at all,
for this suggests that there may be
things outside of this present appearance.
Well, that's fine… language can never touch THIS…
And I've just realised the enormous pun potential in the phrase "present appearance"!
(get it… Xmas present appearance…!)
Anyway……Merry Xmas!!!
Jeff Foster studied Astrophysics at Cambridge University. After a long period of depression and illness, Jeff began a journey of seeking enlightenment to relieve his suffering; he started an intensive spiritual quest for spiritual liberation.
Upon finally discovering the non-dual nature of everything his frantic search came to an end. In the clarity of his discovery, life turned into what it always was: an open, loving, spontaneous and intimate eternity in the here and now.
He believes that the truth – that which is present and alive – is absolutely free and cannot be captured by any religion, ideology, philosophy, belief system or person. Jeff presently conducts meetings and retreats in the UK and around the world as well as one-to-one sessions.
Find more of Jeff Foster's texts and videos about the subject of advaita (non-duality) on his website, including essays, talk transcripts, books, CDs and DVDs, audio and video: Lifewithoutacentre.com
Kip Mazuy is the founder of Bliss Music. He creates audio meditation programs and music that help people attaining blissful states of consciousness and support deep states of peace in meditation.