Nosotr@s que vivimos y respiramos en un cuerpo
vemos la firma del Creador como oro vivo:
el oro de una magnífica luz del sol salpicada en los ríos activos
de la generosidad de nuestros corazones, derramando amor fundido en el mundo,
brillando en nuestras mejores historias
señalizando la belleza
celebrando el coraje de salir y ser
más que reflejos, en lugar de ser llamas vivas de oro
ardiendo en existencia como chispas de Dios humano desnudo.
Pero el oro no es el objetivo como algun@s profesan
es la puerta por la que pasamos
a la nueva vida, al reverdecimiento de nuestro espíritu
a una viveza vitalizada en mundos no vistos por el ojo material,
la fuerza del alma verde creciendo en concentraciones vibrantes de conciencia
donde la percepción comienza a fusionarse con la Fuente
y con todas las energías incorruptibles de la Vida Eterna.
Hasta este punto todo es energía, energizada por las ondas verdes.
de la sutil compasión del corazón.
Pero aún hay una invitación más allá del oro de la inspiración.
y el verde de la iluminación,
una invitación que parece brotar de una oscuridad aterciopelada
un lago de la nada
una invitación a ningún espacio, ningún tiempo,
ningún movimiento, ningún pensamiento
ningún logro, ningún elogio,
ningún eco del mundo
ido, ido, todo ido
no queda nada más que el pozo vacío de la dicha original.
Solo aquell@s que entran en esta noche oscura
pueden mirar hacia arriba y ver el rostro oculto de Dios
donde Nada y Todo son uno.
Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Qué significa para ti 'el pozo vacío de la dicha original'? ¿Puedes compartir una historia personal de un momento en que aceptaste la invitación para ir más allá de la inspiración y la iluminación? ¿Qué te ayuda a reorientarte hacia la noche oscura donde nada y todo son uno?
James O'dea es autor de varios libros, ex presidente de IONS y director en Washington de Amnistía Internacional. Para más información, aquí hay una conversación reciente con James: recent conversation with James.
James O'dea is an author of several books, former President of IONS and Washington Director of Amnesty International. For more, here's a recent conversation with James.
Seed Questions for Reflection
What does 'the empty well of original bliss' mean to you? Can you share a personal story of a time you took the invitation to go beyond inspiration and illumination? What helps you reorient toward the dark night where nothing and everything are one?
My eyes can’t see where you’re going
And my mind can’t put it all together
As you whirl through green and gold spaces
Like a swarm of whirling dervish lightening bugs
Trailing streamers of of gold inspiration
And green illumination
Through the velvet darkness of
The lake of nothingness.
I can’t follow you James.
So I can only sit here and let it all go.
I can only give up and just sit here.
It’s still and quiet here.
Now I can feel the peace.
Now I can feel the love.
To me, The empty well of original bliss, means Emptiness as in Buddhism. Leonard Cohen wrote "Dance me to the end of Love". For personal experiences, Nature puts me back in touch with visceral reality and then I sometimes "see the Master's hand" (Bob Dylan). For me its boundless neutral Love .
First I read this twice. Then I listened twice and wept. I’m still weeping. I watched my husband die a noble death four months ago. He worked very hard, courageously, to leave his body. Within 90 minutes of his passing, his face relaxed into a beautiful smile. I carry the Smile with me now, wherever I go. It was my entry into the One. Deep gratitude to my beloved.
My husband and I live on a few acres that allows us to rescue many animals - dogs, horses, chickens, ducks, roosters and cats. They keep us grounded and become our constant teachers and loving companions. This past week, Tessie one of our 4 dogs, had to be put down due to a spreading cancer. She was 14 and a rescue from the South. Whenever one of out animals dies or is put down, the intense grief I experience opens me to being more in the moment and much more compassionate with all beings, including myself.
For me, 'the empty well of original bliss' is no thing, is what we call God, is outside of time and space, is formless existence, is Pure Being, some of which took form becoming whatever is material in space and time. Not only does something come from nothing or the empty well, everything comes from nothing. For me, I haven't gone beyond inspiration and illumination -- I've responded to both resulting in my awareness and vision expanding. I was presented with the viewpoint that all is one, that all existence is one action, and I seem to have grabbed hold of it, it took root in me, and I cultivate it. That awareness helps me reorient toward seeing that nothing and everything are one, that whatever looks opposite -- such as separate and together, I and the other, inside and outside -- are 'both and', not 'either or', are one. What helps me is being open to and growing in that understanding.
Beautiful poetic reading! Indeed beyond the inspired expression manifesting the gold of Love, before the green awakening of clear awareness, has always been that place where they blossom from, the cauldron of time within which they sprout and then play out. Beyond, yet containing all beginnings and endings, all of these transient experiences we know as Life. The infinite bliss that is closer and more intimate than any separate thing can ever be, the unlimited NOW, within which all BE-ing continually IS. And of course knowing that deeply IS clear awareness, and of course the flowing manifestation and expression of NOW is infinite unconditional Love, and here we are!
I love the way James O'Dea expresses the spiritual way of filling the empty well of original or Divine bliss. As Gautam Buddha announces his awakening and attaining the original bliss: Gate, gate, paragate, parasangate, Bodhi swaha: Gone beyond, gone beyond, gone beyonnd the beyond. What an awakening? What a bliss?
When we go beyond what binds us to the material things and what we get attached to , we taste the freedom, unconditional love, and bliss.
I have learned the for Noble Truths of Buddha's teachings. The first noble truth is suffering. The second noble truth is there is a cause of suffering. The third noble truth is that suffering is transitory. It comes and goes. The fourth noble truth is there ia way to end suffering and be liberated. Whenever I have gone through deep emotional suffering I have accepted it with self-compassion and self-work. This way I have gone through darkness and go beyond it to be blessed by the Divine Light. In that light I see the oneness where nothin... View full comment
I love the way James O'Dea expresses the spiritual way of filling the empty well of original or Divine bliss. As Gautam Buddha announces his awakening and attaining the original bliss: Gate, gate, paragate, parasangate, Bodhi swaha: Gone beyond, gone beyond, gone beyonnd the beyond. What an awakening? What a bliss?
When we go beyond what binds us to the material things and what we get attached to , we taste the freedom, unconditional love, and bliss.
I have learned the for Noble Truths of Buddha's teachings. The first noble truth is suffering. The second noble truth is there is a cause of suffering. The third noble truth is that suffering is transitory. It comes and goes. The fourth noble truth is there ia way to end suffering and be liberated. Whenever I have gone through deep emotional suffering I have accepted it with self-compassion and self-work. This way I have gone through darkness and go beyond it to be blessed by the Divine Light. In that light I see the oneness where nothing and everything are one. It is where the self becomes the Self. Where individual consciousness becomes Unitive Consciousness.
Namste!
Jagdish P Dave Hide full comment
JO
joFeb 6, 2023
I had to read this a few times to understand! I see the light now! Amen! Most true and beautiful is wisdom spoken here! Beyond “the finish line”, there will be no more suffering. That’s what He said. This, I believe.
