Impermanence

With open eyes and a joyous heart . . . How do we live with open eyes to the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth and with a joyous heart?

Everything and everyone we love is passing away. We each die. The autumn air is cool and sweet, colors warm and earthy, dry leaves float to the ground. It is beautiful. There is pathos. It is the way it is. Awareness. Gratitude.

Yet life surprises us with new life. Springtime! Babies! Yes!

Even the Earth and the Sun will cease to be in some distant future. That is the way it is. Civilizations rise and fall. Nations are born and cease to be and become part of something new. The atoms in our bodies are from stars. Someone has said that we are a star's way of looking at a star. Changing, evolving . . .  

But we have this moment, each moment, this aliveness, this awareness, this gratitude, this joy. It is good to be alive even for a moment.

The Earth is heating up. It is too late to stop the effects of that which we will suffer. We can stop further damage. But will we?

We can do better. We can be more compassionate and understanding. We can relieve suffering. We can create new structures that foster wellbeing and happiness for all living beings. But even these will be impermanent and will change. And so we try again. We never stop trying.

But what a gorgeous sunset, moonshine, ocean glimmer. Beautiful eyes. The laughter of children.

Yes, my beloved, you and I are passing away, and I love you.