A New Day

This dawn was stunning. Strong golden light emanated from the sun as it made its way up into the sky. The light touched everything around it casting each thing in a eerie glow. It wasn't so much coloured as it was light. Gold was the only way to describe the colour and that doesn't do it justice.

Even after the longest dry spell or the harshest night, there is always a new day which promises new possibilities. When things have been particularly tough, it is very comforting to remember the wise adage "this too shall pass". It always does, without fail. Sometimes it seems as though hard times will last forever. But things always change. In fact, that is the only thing to be certain of. That things will change. And when they do, you can begin the cycle anew looking forward to another opportunity to grow, evolve, love and laugh.

Good Weary

Watching the sunrise from LAX was oddly pretty. The soft pastel colours of the sky juxtaposed on the futuristic buildings at the airport. Everything was slightly bathed in early morning light. It wasn't a bright light though, it seemed quiet. As though the sun might be a bit tired from all it's hard work.

I feel weary sometimes especially after I've completed some really great work. There is something really satisfying about being worn out by giving it everything you've got. We used to have a saying when I played sports in high school. We used to say "leave it on the court" and we meant it. That's another way to describe "good weary". It feels good even through the exhaustion.

Peace

The sunrise was so peaceful this morning. There was a golden glow that spread outwards from the mountains in Ojai. It seemed to have a centre from which the light was radiating outwards, touching everything in its path. There was nothing it didn't touch.

Love and peace feel very much the same way. They radiate outwards from the centre of your being. The only reason why you wouldn't be able to feel their presence is because somehow you have blocked the transmission and reception of these glorious energies. Sometimes, it is necessary to elicit the contrasting energy in order to know, without a shadow of a doubt, how to recognize your bliss. This is the ultimate human drama: to create the opposite in order to know the truth.

Ineffable Presence

The sunrise is pervasive in Ojai. We are situated in a valley completely surrounded by an expanse of mountains. When the sun rises the whole valley lights up. There is absolutely no variation in colour, texture or light. In fact, there is no differentiation between yesterday's sunrise and today's sunrise. The immutable and unchangeable qualities of consciousness are very real in the Ojai valley.

There is a part of all of us that is unchangeable. This part is also unhurtable and cannot die. It is the part of us that somehow connected to all that is. I can't even begin to discuss it because I don't really understand myself. But I know that it's there. And I become very acutely aware of it on mornings such as this. The presence is there. It's not going anywhere. And there is nothing, absolutely nothing that you can do to alter it, change it or upset it. It just is.

Sleepy Valley

I'm in Ojai, California. It's in the mountains between LA and Santa Barbara. Krishanmurti lived here for many years at one point. I can see why. The Ojai valley is one of the most stunning landscapes I have ever laid eyes on. My witness of the sunrise was very brief this morning. I got up, noticed it and went directly back to sleep. The jet lag combined with the intensity of my work left me no choice. Sleep was a necessity.

I wonder how many times in my life I have denied my deepest need for some social convention. It's not really that acceptable to "need sleep" or to "need" anything for that matter. But everybody has needs. I used to think it was weak to "need" things now I actually see it as a sign of strength. Recognizing that there is no way possible that you could be truly self-sufficient on this little planet takes an immense amount of strength and courage. There is great strength in vulnerability because a person with less resources would merely shut down in the face of adversity. Someone with strength continues on with life in the face of vulnerability and pain.

Waiting

I was waiting for the sunrise for a long time this morning. I am back in Santa Monica so was awake at some ungodly hour due to the time difference. It seemed as though the sun would never rise. The sky remained this not-quite-dark version for what seemed like forever. I was waiting and watching the clock tick slowly by. Waiting and waiting.

Patience is a virtue, they say. Lord knows, patience is not my strongest virtue. In fact, I have been known to get easily frustrated and take matters in my own hands when I run out of patience. However, in the humorous case of the sunrise, I could take matters into my own hands. The sun was coming up on its schedule and that was that. So I sat and waited and surrendered my need to control the circumstances. A funny thing happened, I really started enjoying the sunrise.

Stuck

I was up very early today. The sky seemed stuck in pre-dawn mode for an unusually long time. The beautiful band of red, pink and purple seemed not to change at all over time. Finally, I left the beach in order to catch my flight to LA. It was as though the sunrise was stuck.

Stuck energy does not feel good. First of all, there is the issue that you are not moving forward. But, there is also a lot of discomfort from the build up of energy behind the stuck point. It's like a dam holding back an enormous force of water. That actually causes more discomfort than the lack of forward momentum. Relief comes only when forward motion is resumed, however small. The key to staying or getting unstuck is to keep moving, if only a little bit at a time. Eventually, full movement will return as each little step builds momentum from the last one.