Text and all pictures by: Maria Jesus Palma Cespedes, Amazonia Cohort
Patience was taught to me by the tree
that showed me that every seed has its journey
and every fruit, its time of maturation.
“Patience arises naturally from presence,” it whispered to me,
“because whoever is present
is not waiting for anything other than to be awake
in this single instant.”
Trust came from the water
that flowed, sang, splashed
and rested gently on the cloud open to the different possibilities of existing
without controlling, without resisting.
“Trust, my child, that, as you see,
I can go round and round,
but my destiny will always be to return to my home;
the Ocean (…)
Embrace the stones in your walk,
free yourself from the dams, do not be dizzy,
flow with the force that carries me
and trust that your destiny is also to return home.”
Acceptance came from the changing seasons
when I observed that all beings
in their constant transformation
surrendered to the intrinsic rhythm
of the great earthly symphony.
“Whoever fades away,” the earth told me,
“nobly offers their existence
so that the life that awaits may germinate.”
Then I noticed a leaf falling slowly
on its journey back to the earth
And I understood that resistance is suffering
And that surrender and fluidity is liberation.
Sensuality came from the aroma of flowers
inviting the subtle caress, delicate
encounter of two skins from different kingdoms
but sisters born from the same earth
and daughters of the same sky.
“Where does beauty live if not in noticing,
in perceiving us?”
the suggestive flower taught me sweetly.
Play and imagination came from the clouds
Mountains of sky that, sometimes believing themselves to be animals and objects
Laughed mischievously from on high
Comfortable in their changing nature
playing at being nothing
playing at being everything
Sometimes dissolving in the clear blue
sometimes pouring down with force
like rain
or like tears
Simplicity came from the bare autumn tree
That with its bare arms
Showed me the purity that lives in the simplicity
Of an existence without adornments
Creativity was inspired by the sunrises and sunsets
Where the sacred delights in its brush
and reveals itself without cover or mystery
to its moved spectators
“You are also part of this work of art,”
a voice of eternity murmured
“Never forget that when you contemplate the sky
The sky is contemplating you too as part of itself”
Self-discovery was born from the silence of the night
Where the darkness served as a mirror
to notice one’s own shadow
no longer with the eyes of judgment
but with the deep and compassionate gaze
of consciousness
Perceiving beyond all darkness
the virtuous stars that twinkle
While the full moon of the Soul shines
with the victory of a new understanding
arising from the heart
Care has been taught to me by the mothers
of all species
Guardians, defenders of life and existence
Pouring themselves tirelessly in love and sacrifice
To transform the fragile
into strength and courage
Providing firm foundations to go through
this great rite of passage
that is Life
Deep attention came as an imperious call
from my soul
That guided me with wisdom through a growing thirst
to understand and experience the other, the different,
the “external”
To come to understand
That what is outside is a reflection of the divine Being
that lives not only in me
but in every particle of the Cosmos
The teaching of reciprocity came from the Earth
who showed me that the links are based
on a subtle and invisible element
that some call Gratitude,
others Presence,
others Love.
What more could She
who already possesses everything ask for?
Love,
only Love
Humility came from the hand of Death,
Who, taking detachment as its emblem,
Invited me to see my ephemeral human nature,
But also to recognize my true eternal nature.
“Empty yourself of all desire and superficiality,
for I will come to take from you
everything that you are not,”
said the wise Death solemnly.
And he continued:
“In your apparent fragility, transcendence dwells.
Immerse yourself in the search for your inner pearl,
the one that neither I nor anyone else can snatch away.
If you are humble and pure, you will find it.”
Belonging?
Belonging is inherent to my existence
Because I cannot exist without being a part
Nor can the part exist without the Whole
Belonging is not sought or found;
It is recognized and inhabited in the realm of Being
Discovering with its infinite gaze
The living plot that unites life
The great unison beat that brings us together
The divine energy that transcends us.