Last night the moon was brilliant and huge over my little back yard. I have a lavishly planted garden with a large elderberry bush in the center. Last year she yielded pounds of purple/black berries which a friend and I turned into syrup with honey, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. In the moonlight the fronds of the bush were smokey and lacy. In time there will be bunches of white flowers that will weigh down the branches so they touch the ground. Gradually the berries will emerge and ripen in time.
The practice of meditation, sati, open awareness invites us to notice, to really notice what is so abundantly offered by the earth. From the moment we awaken we have choices. On retreat there is a schedule; sitting, walking, meals, a few chores, time for sleep. At home there are so many distractions. The natural world outside our doors can fade because of our busy lives, sometimes so much that it takes some drama to bring us out of our trance. A massive downpour, lightening, rainbows, sunsets and sunrises can help to awaken us to the present. A brilliant moon like last night, washing everything with moon glow. We can stop and immerse ourselves in the moment, noticing the passage of the moon in the sky. Noting impermanence. Observing and letting the moment pass.
Just as the elderberry sprouts her feathery leaves, blossoms, produces berries and goes dormant in the winter, we can incorporate the same diastole and systole of our own bodies, our own hearts. We can choose to be fully in our lives instead of observing from the edges. We can truly live right now, open to all that is.
