I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in. ~George Washington Carver
Being French Canadian and part Cree Indian my love of the land burns strong inside me.
Last night while camping in the Nantahala Forest I decided to go for a moonlit paddle.
I slipped my 17 foot Kevlar canoe into the cold gray water and suddenly my world was transformed.
The full moon revealed a silent panorama of shadow, light and sparkle.
Silence prevailed except for the pulsating lullaby of tree frogs and the lapping waves against my boat. With eager strokes I moved closer to the center of the lake. In awe, I peered behind me to gaze on the glistening triangular reflection of moonlight left in the wake of fresh rippling water.
There was a hint of pine in the autumn air and a gentle breeze brushed my face. I looked up in amazement at the diamond-studded sky. Reflections of cottage lights glistening on the water only added more stars to the spectacle.
Boundaries disappeared, there was only sky. For all I knew, I was floating on air. At first I was a little uneasy, but I learned to trust my canoe. I braced myself on the gunwale and I leaned forward into my kneeling position. Feeling more at ease, I relaxed to absorb the moment.
Suddenly, a different kind of stillness came over me. All at once my mind opened and I was lost in an expansive panorama. I wasn’t sure where the lake ended or my mind began.
I felt my attention curve back on itself and a feeling of lightness and freedom came over me. No lines or separation, I felt all-inclusive, like I was the water, the trees and the sky. I was intensely aware of myself but also of everything else, all in the same moment.
It was like feeling fullness and emptiness all at the same time. And then an overwhelming sense of peace. Back on shore, I pondered my experience. I was thankful for this insight and the vivid sense of being a part of the wholeness of life. It left me feeling reassured about my personal destiny and life path.
I knew there was nothing I needed to do or become. I just had to surrender to the flow of existence. The seasons know when to change and so will I.
Sometimes in deep mindfulness meditation, when I’m free of mind chatter and emotion, I touch upon this truth. In this awareness, without the tyranny of thought and duality, I plumb the depth of this ocean of infinite joy and limitless creation.
It is the pure potential of All That Is. Beyond birth and death, good and evil, beauty expresses itself as truth. There is only one truth, and it is in the unity of all things.
