?? ?????????? ???? ?????? ????????????

Each day, when I arise, I write in my Gratitude Journal to turn my mind toward the presents in the Presence and away from its default focus on absences, which it uses as excuses for returning to the state of mourning it so often puts on –– like donning the dark robe of an oppressive cleric –– to count the losses and disappointments accumulated over a lifetime.

Today, I awoke at 3 a.m., which is not usually conducive to a good mood. So, I listened to beautiful music while reading chapters in ????? ??????????? ???? ???????????? by John Brehm, followed by pages from ???????????????? ????????????: ????? ???????? ???? ?????????????????? ????????????? ???????????? by David Hinton –– both gifts from a dear friend at a recent reunion.

Under the influence of the poems and contemplations –– and with a hunger for immersion in the Sacred –– I sought out a recording on YouTube of the exquisite acapella voices of the Tallis Scholars as I prepared to enumerate and appreciate the blessings in my life. And as I listened to the transporting blend of voices singing, The Best of the Renaissance, I thought-streamed the following words automatically.

I’ve tweaked them only slightly from their original state –– like tuning-up an instrument so that the verbal music scintillates. I offer to you what came through my pen with the encouragement to let your own mind become unpenned and discover what creatures-of-thought are waiting at the gate to inform you in some surprising ways. Here’s what appeared upon my page:

???? ???????????????? ???? ???? ???????? ???? ???????????? ?????? ?????????????? ???????????? ?? ?????????? ???? ????? ????????????. ???? ???????????? ???????? ????? ???????????? ???? ??????????????????? ???? ????? ????????????: ?? ????????????-???????????? ?????? ????????????????? ?????????????? ??????? ???????????????? ?????????????????? ?????????? ????? ?????????????? ??????????????????, ???????? ?????????????? ????????-?????????? ???????? ?????????? ???????????? ????????-???? ????????????.

????? ?????????????? ???? ????? ???????????? ???? ????????? ???????? ????????. ??????, ???? ???? ???? ????????????? ?????? ???????????????? ???? ?????????, ???????? ???????????????? ????????????.

???????????? ????? ???????????? ???? ???????? ???????????? ?????? ???????????????. ???? ?????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????????? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ?????? ?????????? ???????????????? ?????????? ?????????????? ?????? ?????????????? ???????????? ???????? ?????????? ???????? ??????? ??????? ????????????????????? ?????? ???????????? ?????? ?????????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ???? ??????? – ?????????????????? ???????? ???????? ???????????????? ?????? ??????????? ?????????? ???? ?????? ???????? ???? ?????????? ???? ????? ??????????????? ?????????? ??????? ???????????? ???? ?????? ?????????????????? ???? ??????? ????????????????, ???????????????? ???????????? ???? ????? ????????????.

Well, that was fun –– not to know where a thought-stream was going once it was begun. I am grateful for the pleasure of free-flow creativity and discovery. And as the lovely Gaile Lynne once pointed out, ???????????????????????? creates a sense of Great Fullness in our hearts.

This is what a Sense of the Sacred confers upon us when we sensitize ourselves to its sensuous presence –– everywhere in everyone and everything at once. It is when ???????????????????????????? –– a word that speaks its own meaning (as pointed out to me by the poetically-named Jeremy Rumble) ––falls like a deep sleep upon consciousness that it renders someone like me unable to see the beauty that resides in our own heart-of-hearts when we take the time to peak inside.