Debra Basham

Living and Loving

Tag: kaleidoscope

  • Unique But Not Separate

    At the end of their Zoom online meditation, the meditation host shared a rich experience she had while on retreat the previous week. It started with an annoying beep from the smoke detector that was not corrected by the facility maintenance crew. After a few days it was resolved, but the distraction had allowed a profound inner experience of a piercing of light.

    One of the other individuals online shared some of his previous experiences.

    Gratitude for the host’s sharing was expressed.

    Then the last person’s sharing was a bit more abstract. “It is like I am not having a separate experience but more of a simultaneous awareness,” ending with the use of a kaleidoscope as an example.

    When she logged off from the meditation, this text from a Zen group popped in:

      The Heart Sutra then proclaims that “FORM DOES NOT DIFFER FROM EMPTINESS!”

      Another word for form is dharma, lower case. All ” things” are dharmas and they are all empty of any separate existence. They are unique but not separate.

      We are unique but not separate from our planet, Universe, and each other.

    She sent the words of wisdom from the Heart Sutra to the others who had been at the meditation.

    So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
    -Romans 12:5

  • Kaleidoscope

    Sacred Stories

    She works as a home-health nurse. Visiting with her patient, he was telling her how he and his wife had purchased a kaleidoscope at the local art fair. He would come home from a stressful day at work and turn on relaxation music, kick back in the recliner, and look through the lens of that kaleidoscope. It was sooooooo relaxing.

    He described to her the colored sparkle tubes that would be viewed in myriad patterns of light and color.

    She had never seen or even heard of a kaleidoscope, but her very next patient had one!

    “When you look into a kaleidoscope, you see something beautiful. … It represents the initiative we all must take to sustain beauty in our lives and land in the right place, as life continues to change and we are continuously challenged.”

    That sums up her current life to a “K” for kaleidoscope.

    “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11

  • Kaleidoscope

    Last evening I attended my brother-in-law’s wedding. He has been a care-giver for many years for the woman who is now his wife. The hospice spiritual care coordinator performed the ceremony. Theirs is not young love, and the decision for them to marry is not something everyone will understand, but it is precious none-the-less. When I crawled into a warm bed last night yoga was the only thing on my calendar for today. As I moved into my day, however, opportunities popped up. Like the pieces of glass in a kaleidoscope, my schedule has kept moving and showing me life and love.

    I was able to have lunch with my dear friend and her two young children. Her son will be two in December and her daughter is almost three months old. You can imagine how wonderFULL her life is!

    My afternoon was spent sharing with a colleague in the healing arts I met for the first time today. It was tender to appreciate one another and to witness the divine movement that brought us together. She understands the privilege to work with another. As Ram Dass says, we are all just walking each other home.

    This evening I will share a letting go ritual with a mom and her adult child who is in hospice care.

    As I let myself notice, it is obvious that everything that occurs in our days is an unfolding of the highest interest of all.

    This morning I watched a video talk by Mary Reed, author of The Unwitting Mystic. I think I would have noticed the unfolding anyway, but I appreciated Mary’s starting my day with that expanded awareness. This afternoon I also watched a video where Mary led a box exercise about our attention and shifting out of mind constructs. She says to put all of our thoughts (including all of our past, fears, beliefs, memories, etc.) into a box so we can let our mind be in service to and in partnership with Divine Love.

    Our precious life can be lived not wanting to be where we are and not wanting to feel what we are feeling. Mary says Mooji tells us to find that place which is effortless at rest within itself and be one with that. It would be marvelous if we can all slip into this place as easily as slipping into a comfortable pair of jeans or listening to a favorite piece of music.

    It was raining here again today as I was out-and-about. I observed how I had a choice to resit the rain or just notice that the wet and the wind was cold against my face as I had a judgment: uncomfortable. My body contracted. From my meditation practice I remembered simply to note aversion.

    Grateful for that awareness.

    Grateful for the opportunities to be present in my own life.

    Grateful for teachers and learners.

    The phrase, “We are each a single piece of glass in a kaleidoscope” keeps coming to my mind. We are not together by chance. We are not fastened together. Life is not some random shaking of the glass. Purpose and meaning are inherent in everything, and the placement of each piece and the subsequent shifting yields yet another beautiful view.

    May all beings come to the end of suffering.

    Here is a photo of the sweet little one I was with today: