“Sometimes it happens that you become one, in some rare moment. Watch the ocean, the tremendous wildness of it–and suddenly you forget your split, your schizophrenia; you relax. Or, moving in the Himalayas, seeing the virgin snow on the Himalayan peaks, suddenly a coolness surrounds you and you need not be false because there is no other human being to be false to. You fall together. Or, listening to beautiful music, you fall together. Whenever, in whatsoever situation, you become one, a peace, a happiness, a bliss, surrounds you, arises in you. You feel fulfilled. There is no need to wait for these moments–these moments can become your natural life. These extraordinary moments can become ordinary moments – that is the whole effort of Zen. You can live an extraordinary life in a very ordinary life: cutting wood, chopping wood, carrying water from the well, you can be tremendously at ease with yourself. Cleaning the floor, cooking food, washing the clothes, you can be perfectly at ease–because the whole question is of you doing your action totally, enjoying, delighting in it.”
Osho Dang Dang Doko Dang Chapter 3
I love this card from the Osho Zen Tarot deck. It has a powerful message, which fits perfectly with how I’m feeling right now. We live in a beautiful, magical, wondrous world, although we so often take this world for granted.
It also illustrates the benefit of making each day a meditation- of giving our full attention to whatever task we are performing, no matter how mundane. There is still beauty and wonder to be had in the most ordinary of moments.
Today, why not make a list of some of your most mundane and ordinary Blessings. There is no need to wait for something extraordinary to happen to us.
There is a great magic in the ordinary once we open our eyes.
Here’s my list, a task made much easier after our recent days without power while we are flooded in here at our farm. I look forward to hearing about your lists too…
1. Electric Light. The magic of flicking a switch and having your world illuminated is pretty cool. Plus you can stay up past sunset much more easily without bumping into furniture. Also makes night reading a breeze!
2. Washing machine. Pop the dirty clothes in, press a button and they come out clean a little while later. No beating sheets on rocks in streams, no mangles and hand wringers. It’s a five minute job. And as an added bonus, the smell of clean clothes, fresh from the line after hanging in the sunshine.
3. Refrigerator. It keeps my drinks cold, my food fresh, and stops bugs getting in my condiments. It is also a thing of wonder to stand in front of when you are experiencing an enschnackelation attack and have no idea what you feel like eating. The little light comes on and all your choices are laid out before you, shelf by shelf.
4. Hot showers. Soul soothing, and excellent for washing away the grime of the day. Oh the blessings of internal plumbing and hot water are immeasurable!
5. The internet. Blog, facebook, emails and being able to stay in touch around the world or google anything I please, whenever I so desire. Site I missed most during our blackout? BOM – the weather radar site from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology! Hands down winner. Who doesn’t want to know where their extreme weather event is coming from, what it looks like, and just what to expect?
6. Computer. A magical box that holds the entire contents of my brain, the rough drafts of all my books, the pictures that tell the story of my life, and then some…
7. Toaster. Bread goes in. Toast comes out. ‘Mazing!
8. Juicer. Turns mountains of fruit and vegetables into tasty, health-giving beverages.
9. Mobile Phone. Charge it up, carry it around, and you have the world in your pocket, plus a handy camera!
10. Coffee machines. Whether it’s a stovetop espresso maker or a full-blown barrista’s coffee shop dream, seriously these should be considered a wonder of the modern world.
And my personal favourite through these long electricity-free days? The humble battery-powered transistor radio. Special mention to ABC Radio for superlative coverage of unfolding local events and all sorts of other listening pleasures.
Beautiful. Thanks for mentioning the things we take for granted. Hugs, Brenda
Radio ROCKS!!!
Our list can be differ from each other but I am sure the essence will be the same to live the moment completely. And it’s 100% true we are able to see the miracles of life once we allow our eyes to open.
I also believe everything & every person holding a unsaid story within we just try to read it in our own language.
i absolutely love your list, & yes, after such a time of no-power, how glorious that it reminds us of these awesome things in life that we DO tend to take for granted normally. we are SO lucky! & we all know that you certainly appreciate the wonders of nature more than most too xx big love & gratitude to dear YOU xx
I’ll just give you te short list – lol
1 To be able to go to sleep at night ( I can’t)
2 To be able to wake in the morning and feel ok ( I can’t relates to 1)
3 having someone like my blog ( as well as Ray because he feels sorry no one seems to read it)
4 not having the light split my skull in two
5 the smell of clean sheets on th bed
6 the day I find my energy again
7 someone I can pick up the phone to talk to
8 the smell of new mown grass
9 the wind sighing through the trees, ever so gently
10 the day I can make a list full of positives
Oh and most of all. Overcoming this awful self pity roflmao. It’s really piteous.
I am hugely grateful to Nicole because she gives me someone and something to look up to in this crazy world.
Oh yes, I love all of those things too. And also tea. Definitely tea. 🙂
Good reminder of the amazing stuff we take for granted.
Great post! It is so great to take the time to be grateful for all the conveniences we have in our lives! I also have been working to find the magical in the mundane in all areas of life. There is beauty and magic and art in making our home a clean and inviting place to be, in cooking meals with love for those we love, in doing laundry, in taking the time to really listen to someone, in taking a walk outside, etc. 🙂
Hi,
I’ve recently found you again Nicole via googling and came across the blog, having attended some courses and readings a number of years ago.
My gratitude list almost always includes birds. Their songs, their antics in my birdbath and their beautiful plumage.
Gardens and plants are another wonder.
And what about the beautiful clear blue sky after the rain. It was fresh and clean and pollution free.
So glad to reconnect, Cherie! I’ma big fan of the little birds in my birdbath. They give me so much joy. Much love to you xoxo
Numbers 1-6 of your list regularly make appearances in my gratitude journal. Along with coffee, my electric mixer, the variety of foods, windows (for breezes or preventing rain coming in), pillows and running water/plumbing (which in Brisbane became a real issue for a blink of an eye, relatively speaking) and cars (allowing for horses to no longer be a necessary form of transportation with those who are not partial to their natures), not to mention ease of getting to places which were out of our easy reach in the past.
So much to be grateful for when one stops, thinks and sees.
Yes. Many many blessings! Love xx
oh i love that OZT card! “enschnackelation attack”?? i can hear it now – max my poodle marvels at the wonder of his favourite white box in the kitchen from which yummy goodies regularly appear – he’s my guru on loving all things ordinary in each moment! nice to hear you’ve not been washed away – we also had a chorus of chainsaws on the surrounding properties after the deluge! bless! sx
haha my guides woke me up at 5.30am today with clear instructions to play with my inner child! love it! sx
You are really a techno liker! My ordinary list is a good meal, a content face of my son, new leaves on a tree, a blackbird that sings, more suppleness after exercising.