“Our
intelligence and dignity themselves are developed by our being alive for
everything, including the mundane anguish of our lives. Just our awareness of
our sensations, of our experience, with no object or idea in mind, is the
practice of not preferring any particular state of mind. Intimacy with our activity and the objects around us
connects us deeply to our lives. This connection – to the
earth, our bodies, our sense impressions, our creative energies, our feelings,
other people – is the only way I know of to alleviate suffering. To me, our awareness of these things without
preference is a meditation that synchronizes body and mind. This synchronization, the experience of
deep integrity, of being all of a piece,
is a very deep healing. It is unconventional to value such a subtle experience.
It is not encouraged in our culture. We’re much more apt to strive to feel
special, uniquely talented, particularly loved. It’s extraordinary to be
willing to live an ordinary life, to be fully alive for the laundry, to be
present for the dishes. We overlook these everyday connections to our lives,
waiting for the Big Event.” D Cohen
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| Photo: Aleek Manush www.dpreview.com |
This quotation by Cohen renders me speechless. There is literally nothing to say when a fellow human being offers such clarity.
ReplyDeleteYes Geri, Darlene Cohen was a fine human being, with personal understanding of physical suffering and "great compassion for the suffering of all beings."
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