Thursday, May 10, 2012

Inside

I spent yesterday morning in the Taj Mahal. Way back in the early 70’s I discovered an album called “Inside”. It was a recording by a jazz musician named Paul Horn. He plays the flute which is one of my favorite instruments. On this particular recording he visited the Taj Mahal and then hid inside when they closed for the day. He had his flute and a recording device. During the night, when he was alone inside the Taj Mahal, he played his flute and recorded it. A couple of days ago I discovered it’s been re-issued on CD after being out of print for many years. It’s a beautiful recording. It’s contemplative, prayerful, and a bit cosmic. If you’re stressed this recording should bring you some peace. While I was listening to it I was reminded how much I love being one with the universe. Everyone’s life has some trials and tribulations. Mine is no exception. However, I have been given many gifts by the universe. One of the gifts is having the awareness to recognize perfect moments. I call them Zen moments. I’m having one right now as I type these thoughts with Paul Horn’s melodious flute playing inside the Taj Mahal and my mind. I recall another time when I got home early one day. I was alone and the house was quiet. I made a cup of hot chocolate and sat in my chair, looking out my window and watching huge flakes of snow fill the air. I was lost in the moment and one with the universe. I think I learned to see and recognize such moments when I lived in the monastery. I was very young and idealistic but also very serious. I would go for walks in the woods and sometimes I would just sit on a log and listen to the wind in the trees. These types of experiences showed me a whole new way to see life. You should look for similar opportunities in your own life to go “inside” and be one with the universe.




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