A very big Aloha.
My name is Reverend Cindy Palos and I wanted to talk about being totally present.
It's such a huge subject because what happens is a lot of our life,
Especially with the way social media and things on TV and things that we watch on the computer,
Are kind of just distractions that get us into a strange zone that's not presence at all.
It's just a way of distracting us,
You know.
And there's a place for that.
I think there's definitely a time where it's like,
I just need to sit down and do nothing and let the whatever that media is take me away.
But when you're meditating,
And if you have a set time to meditate,
There's a real gift in totally allowing that power of the presence to be with you.
Why?
Well,
It gives you so many gifts.
It gives you strength.
It gives you understanding.
It gives you an awareness.
And it gives you vision.
And as you follow all of those,
It takes you to that place where there is the love behind it all.
And that love is the core,
Of course,
You know,
The core.
A lot of times we dance around the core.
We just use the core to kind of help us through whatever.
But when you get down to the real core of that true love,
There is such an amazing gift and power there that can come to you.
Now,
The journey to that point isn't always easy,
Because we have created these distractions.
And we've created the ways to numb out some of the hard times by allowing ourselves to not have to get to that core.
Because the journey there can be pretty challenging at times.
Because it means not running away,
Not hiding from who you truly are.
It means being able to face all of the challenges you have in life,
All of the things you have to do,
All of the ways you do what you do,
And the way you integrate who you are,
What you are,
And that source of who you are,
What you are,
With all of your being.
Now,
This is big.
I mean,
This takes a lifetime,
Really.
I mean,
I see people that think,
You know,
Well,
You take a course and in a day or two or six months or whatever it might be,
You get a degree,
You get the recognition or something,
Right?
But the interesting part about,
And I think I realized this at a young age,
And I followed it through,
Of course,
With Zen,
Which definitely in Zen,
You see this.
It's not like that is one point you reach that's like,
Okay,
I've reached my destination.
And that's so hard for people in our,
I think,
Western society,
Especially,
Have to realize.
It's not like you just can take a six-month course.
It's a lifetime.
And so people are used to saying,
Well,
If I put a lifetime in what do I get?
Well,
You get your life.
You get your life,
Your real life.
You get everything,
Really,
But it's not the kind of reward that you'd expect in material senses.
But you get something that's more important than just the material.
You get the spiritual.
You get the love.
You get that true light.
You get that ability to go through things in a very,
Very deep level.
So that's why this practice is so precious.
It's so very precious.
And that's why I've been doing it all my life.
And the thing is,
If I were going to go into it thinking,
Well,
If I do this,
I'll get that.
Well,
I think I would have given up a long,
Long time ago.
Because if I do this,
I don't get that.
If I do this,
I see what I have to do next in this.
And that goes deeper.
And that goes deeper.
It's multi,
Multi,
Infinitely layered in how deep you go.
And that's so hard to describe unless you've been on this journey for a while.
It's not like you can just take one little bit of it and get it all.
You can get hints of it.
You can get clues of it.
You can see visions.
But that isn't the same as the daily amazing experience that you get with living it.
With all of the life experiences and putting it into practice.
With all of the ups,
Downs,
Mediums,
And emotions,
And things that are blissful,
And things that are beautiful,
And things that are very hard and not so beautiful that you have to accept in life.
So this is so,
I don't know,
There's no really word that can describe that path.
I've been writing poetry,
And I've been doing music,
And I've been trying to describe it most of my life.
And I think that's kind of what keeps me going,
Is because you can't.
You can't.
Each step of this journey brings new awareness,
New understanding,
New challenges,
New things that you need to incorporate into your life.
And how precious is that?
How valuable is that?
How infinitely important is that?
And that is the reason why I continue to try to explain it,
And share it,
And talk.
And I know many of you understand this.
Some of you have been going probably through the same thing.
But it's a hard sell to those who don't understand that,
That are used to having kind of an easy course,
Like an easy explanation,
Thinking that you can do it,
And you know,
So many steps,
And then get some kind of degree,
And that's it.
It's no,
It's not like that.
It's your lifetime.
And because it's your lifetime,
And that commitment goes to every single day of your life,
That process is so valuable,
And so important,
And so unbelievably precious,
That you learn the value of all values.
And that gift,
That gift,
That gift is your life.
So I'm bowing to you in gratitude for taking the time,
And for trying to understand what I'm saying.
Probably I could say it better.
But it's so important to try to understand this,
You know,
That again,
I couldn't put my lifetime of everything I've written every single day in just a little talk,
Because it goes beyond that.
And I just,
I really thought I had to express why it's so very important to me.
And I think some of you might understand that,
And understand why you do this day,
After day,
After day,
After day,
Every day of your life,
You continue to do this.
And there's ups and downs,
And there's all kinds of rides,
And the waves are sometimes very,
Very high and dangerous,
And sometimes the waters are calm and smooth,
But you just keep going through it every day.
And I am so grateful,
I can try to express this and talk to you here.
I'm very grateful if you made it to this point of listening.
And I am so very,
Very full of that love that comes when you can try to communicate what's in your heart and soul.
And I give you my deepest love and appreciation always.
Thank you.
