Inner Work

For the week of February 27, 2006

The Color of Stillness

The best kind of interior decorating consists of dyeing our inwardness with the clear color of stillness during meditation. After utterly relaxing into the gap between thoughts, into the inner space around thoughts and emotions, we enter the stillness, pure consciousness. There we savor its taste, soak our being in it, and adopt its color of peace. We let that color of stillness become our color, our mode of being underneath all our inner and outer activity.

We can carry stillness into our life in two ways. First, when we find ourselves lost on the surface of life or confronted with its difficulties, we inwardly relax to reconnect with the stillness that informs our periods of meditation. This intentional act of opening to stillness in the midst of life soon becomes a source of confidence and peace in itself. Just knowing that inner peace is always available helps us through the inevitable peaks and valleys of experience. It offers the taste of real freedom.

The second way keeps that peaceful layer of our being with us. As we repeatedly soak in stillness when we meditate and as we repeatedly reconnect with stillness in the midst of life, we begin to recognize its growing presence in our ordinary awareness. Indeed stillness becomes the basis of our presence in this world, the behind-the-scenes foundation of an increasing share of our experience.

That expansive inner spaciousness widens the sphere of our awareness, even as we actively engage with life. Part of us remains inwardly at rest, coloring our life with peace. We spend less of our time in frenzy or fear, identification or greed, anger or regret. Our inner peace tames our emotional reactions, thus translating into easier relationships with people and with life. It leaves us the energy to contribute effectively in our own unique way. And it keeps us a little closer to the sacred Source of all. By embracing peace we can learn to love.

For this week, color your inner life with the peace of stillness.

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