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The Deeper Meaning of Life
by Barbara
Biziou |
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Life: what’s it all about?
LIFE: THE FORCE THAT MAKES OR KEEPS SOMETHING ALIVE; THE VIVIFYING OR QUICKENING PRINCIPLE
We all yearn to know the deeper meaning of life. We all want something beyond what we know. We all want a connection with spirit…with the heart of the universe.
As I pondered what to write about "the deeper meaning of life,” I realized that I was trying to figure it out with my mind. I kept staring at the blank screen on my computer and couldn’t seem to come up with anything worth writing. When I over analyze and rack my brain to get
answers I seldom find what I am searching for. So where lies the answers, or should I ask what is the question?
I find that when I allow my spirit to guide me. It leads me to the mystery behind the obvious. In his book, Beauty: The Invisible Embrace, John O’ Donohue shares that “the imagination is capable of kindness that the mind often lacks because it works naturally from the
world of between; it does not engage things in a cold, clear-cut way but always searches for the hidden worlds that wait at the edge of things.”
I found the hidden worlds when I was hiking in the woods in Vermont over Thanksgiving when life was about the majesty of the landscape--the white birch trees that filled the woods, the blue birds looking for food, and the incredible colors in the sky as it burst into shades
of pink, purple and violet. Life was my relationship with my family, the earth and the dogs who ran into the woods and climbed the rocks. Life was breathing in clean air and feeling my body alive and vital.
There is a wonderful Yiddish proverb that says, “Man plans, God laughs,” not very different from the words of John Lennon, who wrote, “Life is what happens to you when you are busy making plans.”
How many times have we caught ourselves planning every moment…? The temptation is to look in all the old familiar places for new experiences. As we confine our search to the familiar, we miss the opportunities and limit our experience of life. Why does it make us so
uncomfortable to just be? For this is where the answer lies.
Wherever
God lays his glance
life starts
clapping.
The myriad creatures grab their instruments
and join the
song
Whenever love makes itself known
against another
body
the jewel in the eye starts
to
dance
--Hafiz
My teacher/mentor Brugh Joy always said that the deeper meaning of life is allowing life to live through us. We need to learn to dance with the preciousness of life and to appreciate each glorious moment. In this way we experience God’s love as never before.
When it comes down to it, what really matters in life?
Joy comes in the times we allow ourselves to really experience the colors, tastes, shapes, sounds and textures of life. When we focus on the blessings in our lives, we catch a glimpse of the wonder
we are. If we take the time to appreciate ourselves, instead of always trying to be better, smarter, and more spiritual, we could live our lives with breathless wonder.
When I look into my three year old niece’s eyes, I marvel at her radiant spirit. Watching the 6’2” man that my son has become creates awe that he once lived inside of my body. Walking down the streets of New York City, I am astonished at the resiliency of the trees growing
out of the concrete. Life itself is a wondrous miracle not to be taken for granted.
The deeper meaning of life is to experience and be. It is to grow into who we already are and allow ourselves to know that we are blessed and loved. When we open up to the limitless abundance of spirit and the interconnectedness of all of life, our lives become the journey
and each moment becomes a gateway into the unexpected corners of the unfolding future.
"God’s truth and love pervade all things as the light and heat of the sun.
It is God’s love that speaks to me in the birds and the streams but
also behind the clamor of the city."
--Thomas Merton
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Blessing Ritual
I learned this ritual from Serge King in Hawaii.
Decide how much time you want to take for the ritual. it can be 5 minutes or an entire day.
Offer blessings to everyone and everything you see. Bless the bus for allowing people to get around safely, bless the flowers for their fragrant perfume, your dog for his loyalty, the grocery clerk for her brilliant smile, and your clothes for keeping you
warm in the cold weather. You get the picture.
As Serge King shared with me, “If you can’t think of anything nice to bless someone with, bless them for feeding the plants since everyone exhales carbon dioxide.”
This ritual will raise your vibration and open you up to receiving more blessings. Don’t be surprised if animals want to be near you or if kids smile at you more than usual. You will be amazed at how good you will feel and how you will touch the lives of
everyone you meet. Appreciation and blessings creates appreciation and gratitude. Our ability to bless others comes with a willingness to be filled with love and well-being.
I recommend that you do this ritual at least once a month. |
Enough
Enough. these few words are enough.
if not these words, this breath.
if not this breath, this sitting here.
This opening to life
we have refused
again and again
until now.
Until now.
--David Whyte
Here is a wonderful exercise that Thich Nhat Hanh recommends. This spiritual practice will allow you to feel your interconnectedness with all of life. Say these words to yourself as you breathe.
Breathing in, I know i am breathing in.
Breathing out, I know i am breathing out.
in/out
Breathing in, i see myself as a flower
Breathing out, i feel fresh.
flower/fresh
Breathing in, i see myself as a mountain.
Breathing out, i feel solid
mountain/solid
Breathing in I see myself as still water.
Breathing out, I reflect things as they are.
water/reflecting
Breathing in I see myself as space.
Breathing out, I feel free.
space/free
As we move into the New Year, I would like to leave you with a thought from an unknown author.
Take time
Take time to work,
it is the price of success.
Take time to think,
it is the source of power.
Take time to play, it is the
secret of perpetual youth.
Take time to be friendly,
it is the road to happiness.
Take time to love
and be loved, it is a
privilege of the gods.
Take time to share, life is
too short to be selfish.
Take time to laugh,
laughter is the music
of the soul.
Copyright © 2007 Barbara Biziou. All Rights Reserved.
Barbara Biziou, author of The Joy of Ritual and The Joy of Family Rituals, is an internationally acclaimed teacher of practical spirituality.
She is a certified coach, hypno-therapist, meditation teacher and Inter-faith minister. Barbara has been featured in articles such as Body & Soul, Harper’s Bazaar, New York Magazine, and Parents Magazine. She was featured on
Morgan Spurlock’s hit show 30 Days and is the everyday ritual expert on New Morning airing on the Hallmark Channel. She lives in NYC and can be reached at
www.joyofritual.com.
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