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Three-hundred fifty-three days ago I began writing a "Vedic Meditation Thought for the Day," with the idea that I would write one thought each day for the course of a year. At three-hundred fifty-three days, I am nearing the end of that year.
What began as a daily "thought" rather quickly became a daily essay. It seems that, either I have a lot of words that wish to come out, or the realm of consciousness and ideas having to do with it are ineffable and require their being described in a multiple of ways and with an abundance of metaphor and simile in order for a clear picture to be formed.
Or both.
In fact, the Vedic world view, this vast, far-reaching paradigm through which we may describe and understand anything we might encounter, may be stated quite simply. Something like:
There is only one thing.
That one thing is Consciousness.
I Am. I know myself to Be. To be conscious.
Therefore I must be that One Thing.
I am Consciousness Itself.
But in reading the above, immediately questions arise:
If there's only one thing, how come I can't tell what you're thinking? If there's only one thing, if I have an itch, why can't you scratch it? If there's only one thing, why do we humans fight so much? If there's only one thing, and God Is, then God must be that one thing. Are you saying you're God?
Etc.
What I have tried to speak to mainly, though, are practical questions, such as:
If there's only one thing, one does that mean about relationships? About work? About creativity, fear, death, despair, joy, abundance, our thinking, our feeling, life, the universe, everything?
42.
What I have gained from this process of writing is incalculable. Each day, in addition to my twice daily meditations and any teaching of meditation I have done, I have spent at least an hour or two studying, and then writing. Studying what? Consciousness. Consciousness as expressed by the great sages, the ancient rishis, as well as modern exponents of this knowledge and its application in a multitude of fields. Consciousness as it expresses itself through myself and my life, in its sometimes beauty and sometimes ugliness. Consciousness as it sometimes expresses itself via questions posed by someone who has read something that has upset them or uplifted them, confused or comforted them.
And then writing, which writing must make sense to someone other than me, which must have a point--a beginning, middle and end, which must be uplifting (I made for myself the 'rule' that, if I was going to present someone with this many words to slog through, then by God I need at least to try to help them feel better by the end of it all), with as few typos, errors in spelling or grammar as possible (my mother was an English teacher, and occasionally pedantic, and I am my mother's son), and which writing will reflect some understanding of the application of these universal truths to the practicalities of life.
In truth what I have done is decide to study Consciousness in as much depth as personally I can, and by doing it publicly, taken away the possibility of an 'out.' I'm here, rain or shine, sickness or health, good mood, bad mood, indifferent mood.
All of which, as it turns out, is a perfect metaphor for life. There is this one thing we must do, and it doesn't matter at all whether or not we want to do it or feel like doing it, how much resistance we may have, how many alternatives may present themselves for ways to spend our time other than doing this one thing.
And what is the one thing the Veda would have us do, rain or shine?
Live. And by live, the Veda would mean to say enjoy. Be the perfect expression of bliss and abundance and flow of consciousness you are designed to be. Give of yourself fully in every moment. See every moment, every seeming challenge, every apparent problem as an opportunity for growth and an opportunity to give when you feel as if there is nothing there to give.
Emptying ourselves out that we may begin to give from the place that is beyond ego and history and possessions and wealth, beyond learning and study, beyond our individuality.
By giving from this place we begin to identify ourselves as the oneness--eternal, infinite, inexhaustible, ineffable. The field of all possibilities.
This is what the Veda wants of us: to know ourselves truly. Truly and fully as Consciousness. As I have found in this past year, there's really nothing I ever have enjoyed more.
Today I will notice or learn something special about the world, and I will make a point to share it with someone else.
Taxi and Sky, Lower Manhattan, NYC
All material copyright JeffKoberMeditation
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