Snow frozen on the window: Blizzard 2011. Each flake unique, each impermanent

The First Noble Truth says everything is impermanent, everything is suffering. Suffering is one of those words that is so often misunderstood.

Suffering is caused by our ignorance. We don’t understand reality. Everything is just passing by. It’s born, exists for a time, then passes away. In our misunderstanding, we think everything, ourselves included has some kind of permanent place, or grip on this world.

And so we cling and crave to pretty much everything. And when things keep changing, we think this really stinks! I don’t like this.

And then, quite curiously, we keep do ing the same thing over and over again.  (Cue definition of insanity)

And then we get the Big Blizzard. Think of all that snow. Two feet deep at minimum. Drifts 5-6 feet deep. And in all that snow, millions upon millions of flakes…not one is the same. Not one will last.

Not one breath.

Each lifetime starts over in each moment. Over and over.

So, in each moment, we get to start over too. Let go, let go let go.

Enjoy what is.

Be prepared for it to change.

Because it will. That much we know to be true.

I don’t say it will be easy. But that’s why we call it Practice.

Peace everyone, and Happy Chinese New Year.