The Rose Of Impermanence

So much is written around the New Year about “new beginnings” and “letting go of the past” and the “transitory nature of all” that my reflections seem redundant. But I can’t help but enter into the feeling of starting out again, at day one of a new year; another chance; try again; unknown possibilities lay ahead. It doesn’t matter that this concept of starting fresh on January 1st is irrational. Why shouldn’t we feel every day, every minute that we can start over; that we can let go of habit patterns, conditioned responses, reflexive emotions and see ourselves more clearly.

At a recent workshop I expressed disappointment at seeing a lovely rose (which had been adding a graceful cheeriness to my bedroom) lose its petals. Since I had been reading and preparing for the Prajna workshop, I was in the frame of mind to recognize I had a choice to be bummed that the flower was dead, or to be grateful for the opportunity to enjoy it for a while. I realized my disappointment was due to my expectation that the rose should have thrived another several days, when, in actuality, it had run its life course sooner than I wanted it to. As I gathered the petals I thanked the rose for bringing its beauty into my life for a while. Disappointment turned to joy, and the minor experience left a deep impression.

Not all life’s situations will be that simple, but for me it is a deeply felt lesson on the acceptance of impermanence. And, if I can remember to apply that experience of letting go (in this case of expectation) when I am in the midst of grasping, how much happier I will be.

In Heightened Awareness and Meditation for Healing Justin Stone discusses the practice of Chih K’uan. It is a meditation of “holding fast and letting go.” He talks about how beneficial this concept can be to apply to life, not just used as a meditation. In explaining this practice he also writes beautifully on impermanence (see Meditation for Healing, pg. 88-89 and Heightened Awareness, pg. 53).

In our T’ai Chi Chih practice exploring boundaries like too big/too small, contraction/expansion and holding fast/letting go, can help us find the balance of the middle path and experience the effort of no effort. Doing TCC with mindfulness can be a tool flowing mindfulness into our daily lives – reminding us to explore our emotions and reactions. How often have we heard that joy is our natural heritage and that by nature we are joyous beings? What better wish for 2012 than for each of us to experience our true nature.