“Live in the nowhere that you came from, even though you have an address here.” So says the poet Rumi, and it made me wonder. What do I think “nowhere” looks and feels like? How will I know if that’s where I am? You know, minor philosophical questions like that…
What do you believe?
There are many versions floating around of where we came from and where we’re going when we die. They all come from the limitations of our human-ness. We only know what we can see and feel and hear with our bodies. The rest is a rather big mystery.
The image that appeals to me about death is that of a vase surrounded by “air” and “space”. When the vase breaks, the “space” is still there. The whatever-it-is still exists even when the body is gone.
That’s one place to start in our search for the nowhere that we came from.
The meditative state gives us hints
Years ago, I took part in a meditation called The Space Between the Molecules. We mentally moved through each part of our body and visualized that we were simply the space between the molecules. There came a point when my body did not exist.
That was as close as I’ve consciously come to the nowhere that I came from.
What would it feel like to live in the nowhere that we came from?
You can be certain there is no judgment, anger, criticism or any of those human emotions that mess us up. Does nowhere feel serene? What does serene feel like? Look like? Is it silent? Is it like floating? Are we even conscious? Do we feel like a drop of water in a big ocean, or is there some sense of our uniqueness. My guess is that there is no separateness. We are like flavoring in the cosmic soup.
What do I ”do” in the nowhere? How am I useful?
Those are human questions, however, that do not apply to “nowhere.”
Be aware of the subtle flow of nature
As I work to allow my life to unfold, I tend to look to nature for my lessons. The unfolding of a flower – how does that happen? The instinct that guides the birds to find my feeder? What goes on in the mind of a fish? I examine the circumstances that bring the changes in weather. We understand the highs and lows of the weather reports, but what makes weather systems form in the first place? The questions go unanswered.
Of course, we have some human explanations but “nowhere” is the mystical, mysterious, un-definable whatever-it-is that powers these cycles. It’s the nowhere that we came from and we can only guess what that might be like.
We can only accept and adjust to what we perceive as “nowhere”
A friend was trying to “create” her next steps. She was using her mind and her intentions as she had been taught at some point. I used to do that. Now I simply observe what shows up and shape events as they come.
I have choice in how I live in the nowhere that I came from. I focus on exploring my inner spiritual calling and share what I discover with others. I work to keep my days simple and my actions focused on walking beside others in service. I work to deepen my own spiritual awareness, my own personal connection with Tao.
I have removed myself from negative people. I actively seek more like-minded, supportive friends online from all over the world. I would like to meditate longer, listen to silence more, and become more tuned in to what shows up throughout my day. I want to learn to hear the subtle guidance that Tao offers me.
For me, “nowhere” is deep within and I’m still learning to hear it and listen to it and understand it.
I accept it. I know I can find my “nowhere” in my inner silence. I just need to learn to keep my consciousness there – in that nowhere that I came from. So all my actions and thoughts and responses come from that indefinable but always reachable place.
How do you cultivate and recognize the nowhere that you came from?
To Sing a Deeper Song Consider:
The Power of Exploring the Unknown
Can You Control Your Own Destiny?
How to Hold the Space for Things To Change
Steps to Deepen Your Spiritual Awareness
36 – Engage the Power of Trust
27 – Why Have You Been Chosen