As we age,
We may find that the warmth of the sun on our faces is like the return of an old friend.
Ah,
We might say,
This.
And in those moments when thought and busyness still,
A quiet knowing may arise,
A knowing that is greater than us.
This,
Say the sages,
Is the ground of all being.
We who have come this far,
Traveled so many roads,
And are ready now to let others contend with the business of the world,
May be called to these quiet moments more and more,
Not out of idleness,
But a sense of duty,
Duty to bring into the world the quiet knowing,
The wisdom of being that can only arise when we are with the silence of the world and not a noise of our minds.
In this latter phase of life,
Which has been called the age of active wisdom,
We may be called to this kind of silence more and more,
So that whatever wisdom we may have access to may be transmitted through us and enter the world.
This may well be our last and greatest gift to the world,
To those around us,
Our friends,
This quiet way of being,
This gentle knowing,
This soft turning toward the sun.