This morning I woke up in a haze and it has more or less continued until now. My mediation was cut short but my five year old’s unusually early rising from bed and my wife was not in the best of moods. As I moved through the morning hours I got word that the guy we had hired yesterday was almost a half hour late and I ended up having to fire him. In short, today just feels all wrong.
What is funny is that while all of this has been happening I have also been reflecting on the nature of samsara in terms of the huge stretches of time referred to in the suttas and with reference to the unimaginably vast numbers of galaxies in the universe. I heard today that there are more stars in the known universe than there are grains of sand on all the beaches on the planet and was just left awe-struck: facts like these can lead either to deep deprression or a feeling of incredible liberation depending upon how you hold them and the way your minds. Still, when faced with such contemplations I often feel lost and as if I am adrift at sea.
My immediate reaction is to think that whatever we do is meaningless given how infintesimally small we are but, almost simultaneously, the thought that the only thing that matters is how and why we do whatever do arises. I ca see the first thought as the result of years and possibly lifetimes of nihilistic thinking as it used to be where the mental monologue stopped before I met the Dhamma. I see now that my faith in kamma has allowed me to consider another solution to the quandary although I don’t know quite how to articulate my faith and how it makes sense.
What I do know is that, seen in the light of the Dhamma, the vast stretches of time that are required to understand geological, stellar and cosmic change make complete sense. In other words, what I am trying so clumsily to say is that I am, we are, so very fortunate to have encountered and practiced the Dhamma in this life for we know not when we may evr have a similar opportunity.
May all beings meet with the True Dhamma and work to make an end to their suffering!
Cattāri Brahmavihārā 
Much Metta,Karuna and a nd big Sadhu for final sentence and conclusion..Admitted in a local hospital it.s a great study for me how Dhamma works if trained in normal days..Even if good advices are there, never neglect to improve and to apply Metta to your life every minute..a smile can change a mood in cero seconds..that i s the meditation. The Buddha clearly spoke about the 11 great treasure results of Metta Bhavana. One is samadhi.. Practise sati,mindfulness,awareness each and every moment,from morning tooth bruching, eating,to make calls,to go toilet etc..walking meditation great to do inbetween in job,waiting in front of school,in supermarket..sati is the training,samadhi the fruit! Trees are doing their maximum,but fruits come later.. If we look to each step mindful then no need to look to stars. METTA to you and family
By: Ven.dhammadipa on 05/17/2013
at 4:16 am