The weather has been unseasonably warm, even until late. So last evening I just sat out, listening to the wind and looking up at the sky. It was the right way to wind down at the end of the day. It was so lovely sitting there, for a few moments, being grateful for all that had happened that day, listening to the sound of the wind, not saying anything, not even thinking.
We can be so self-involved that we fail to hear the sounds all around us, birdsong during the day, wind chimes in the evening. We do not notice the wonder of a sun rise or sun set. We do not take the time to look up in the darkness and be entertained by by a large slow cloud passing over. We can do this looking over the fields or looking out from a balcony, as long as we take the time to do so. When we do, the moment becomes special, as it did last night.
Slowing down doesn't necessarily mean meditating. Slowing down means paying more attention to the space in your life - inside and out. It means not running off to the movie theatre or becoming a zombie in front of the TV whenever you have free time. Do something more natural to slow down: Take time to rock in a rocking chair or sit in the garden and look at the lilies.
Dzigar Kongtrul, It's up to You
