“And the quieter you get and the less attached you are to what you do,
the more you will find that you move towards doing those things which relieve the suffering of all sentient beings,
because you are part of them all, and there’s no rule about how you will relieve the suffering, only you know,
and you will only know from moment to moment in your own heart.”
-Ram Dass

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by Rose Zimmerman

Dharma is one of those big words, it holds a lot of energy, potency and context. It is the foundation of spiritual teachings across the globe, and is often spoken on at length as the bigger view that holds many teachings inside its geometry, perhaps even the safe-keeper of the sacredness and sanctity of life. I think of dharma as the central governing force of life on this planet, as a lover of existence, and maybe even the overarching pattern of all that which creates, ease, and harmony to occur. That invisible force that is the cosmos existing in perfect balance. Its emerald pages holds virtues like ethics, intention, generosity, joy, truthfulness, and compassion, the companions of the sweetness that is extracted from a healthy culture and society. It also brings to mind being a witness to life, watching the squirrel be a squirrel, collecting acorns and running off before my dog noodles can catch (the squirrel) or the tasty acorn treasure it now has safety stashed in its tiny teeth. 

It is that way, the way, your way. But what do you mean? How do you know your way, your path? It is within the constant state of flow of life revealing itself to you, in everything you encounter, at every moment, of every day. It is the dharma for a tree to grow and reach out for the Sun. The dharma of the laws of gravity, to fall, rise, and fall again, holding everything so close to the skin of the earth. 

All the worlds turn for you, Dear Moon. What a grand masquerade you perform. Keeper of all the stars tales. Sharing all your secrets, and always retelling my favorite stories, the one where you say the earth was born out of exploding light. As Night’s only hairpiece, it is you alone that can illumine the way out of darkened woods and thorny paths. Like a dancer, circling the fire of existence, you make yourself known to all sentient beings. The sun lifts its curtain and night is born! The oceans sway towards your glory. The stars giggled at my plight each night, beckoning for you, they said ‘you’ve already risen, sweetheart,  all you have to do is look up.’ And so it began, or it begins again, the journey of becoming and unbecoming.

There are experiences in life that may be cemented in pain, loss, or heartbreak. As experience shapes and refashions our beliefs, our attractions and aversions change alongside, and the medium from which we engage with life starts to rearrange itself. Maybe it was that time you lost your voice, that you knew just how powerful it could be to share, create, and listen, and how to truly fear nothing. In those lonely moments, a resonant trust started to build upon itself when all seemed lost, and you begged, what’s left?

A little voice inside, saying, trust. Trust in the universal order, of that which does not decay, of that which can not be broken. When the questions arise again, about inner knowing, and intuition, such as, what is it? Does it have a form? How does knowing reveal itself? A knowing that what has come and what is to come is born out of God’s hands alone, this infinitely divine creator. Can it free us of the need to know, or to invade the extraordinary worlds of others? In this both wild and predictable order of existence, to the creator today, and every day, may we bow in reverence.

“A new global order, calls for a new global ethics”
-Thich Naht Hahn

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Media Library: Dive Deeper

Daily practices and inspirational talks on Dharma

Spring is in the air, and the natural world is singing it’s tune of colors in bloom.
Big Bear Retreat Center wishes you a healthy joyful spring!