To see a world in a grain of sand…

Rainy Saturday Morning, originally uploaded by Reiffhaus.

I’m reminded of the lines from William Blake,

To see a world in a grain of sand,

And a heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour. (Auguries of Innocence)

I also remember a statement from the Gnostic teacher Rabolu, who said, “I like to stop before anything in order to examine it. There is a teaching in everything.”

A teaching in everything — amazing. Amazing to learn from a rock, flower, or flowing stream as readily as from a sacred text.

But I find this also depends on me. When I’m truly immersed in the present moment, then insights spring from everywhere. But if I’m lost in thought or preoccupied, cut off from reality, then I learn nothing. The little things can teach me — but only if I’m ready to be taught.

What have you learned from little things?

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VanDusen Botanical Gardens

We visited VanDusen Botanical Gardens today…Nature is an incredible thing. I’ll let the pictures do the talking. (Note: some photos are from a previous visit in March)

View the original set on Flickr

Look, and Look Again

Weird., originally uploaded by cody is rad.

I am always amazed at how many details of the world around are just missed. Perception is usually so limited — I see objects through a web of thoughts and they appear like broad outlines. My ‘normal’ mode of perception is vague.

But perception in the absence of thoughts is radically different. For example, if I stop and really look at something, without thinking about it, then I will almost immediately notice a vast amount of detail that I couldn’t ‘see’ before. The effect is like turning the focus ring on a camera or microscope. Objects seem much more intricate than we normally give them credit for.

My mind can put a label on something, like ‘water’ or ‘desk’. But the concepts I associate with these words are like caricatures if I compare them to the experience of actually studying the reality of these things.

The picture above, besides being an incredible shot, is fascinating because it captures a wave — something so fast and powerful — in a moment of time, incredibly beautiful and incredibly transient.

I learn a lot from simple things in this way. I also feel different inside at these times, as though something awakens.