Soft Encounters | Part Ninteen: Irene

In this audio-recording Ruben is responding for the third time to Irene. She shared a beautiful message in the online classroom of the Insight Timer course 'Embracing Life, Death and Impermanence’. This meditative audio recording can be helpful for others to listen to. Connecting on a deeper level with people who also explore impermanence is part of the teaching that Ruben shares. It helps us to awaken to life as it is. Moment to moment.

It is with great joy that Ruben is now sharing a series of conversations and responses between his 'students' (fellow travelers) and him, for those who feel like deepening their effortless practice.

Trigger Warning: This practice may include references to death, dying, and the departed.

Transcript

Hello dear Irene,

Thank you again for your beautiful message,

Your sharing so openly.

I always find it very helpful to read about people's experiences when it comes to death and dying and the process of it.

You are writing to me,

Thank you Ruben for your reply.

It is now the end of May and I have just picked up your messages.

Yesterday I went to the celebration of life for my niece,

Who made her transition at 54.

It was unexpected on January 2nd this year,

But we were celebrating 5 months later,

Which was in a way so much better because the shock and pain of grief wasn't as intense as it would have been if we had celebrated her life at her passing.

She has struggled with suffering a great deal of her life,

And I am thankful for her that this struggle is finally over.

To have joy at the end of someone's life doesn't seem logical,

But I'm noticing more that there can be joy in so many things.

We celebrated her life,

Three children,

Grandchildren and loving husband and parents that made her life complete.

May she now rest in peace.

Needless to say,

You are ending your message.

I'm slowly getting the hang of this death and dying part of life.

Ah,

Yes.

My heart goes out to her now.

Yeah.

Hmm.

I was really touched as well,

Irene,

When I read this sentence,

But I'm noticing more that there can be joy in so many things.

Celebrating somebody who passed away.

Yeah,

This can be so beautiful.

My father made his transition when I was 20,

I'm now 52,

And I do feel so much joy when connecting with him still,

Even more every day,

Whereas before,

In the first five years,

I was kind of lost in search for him.

But as this so-called spiritual path came along,

When I hopped on,

So to speak,

More and more,

Also during meditations,

It was so obvious that his presence,

His love was so here,

So palpable,

And so nourishing,

Soothing.

And in this way,

I also feel that there's so much joy to be found in many things,

Many things that used to be only horrible,

Or at least they would feel horrible.

Nowadays,

More and more,

Life shows that it's so abundant,

Even when sadness arises or despair,

And not always really easy immediately,

But it's ever so obvious that all is arising and ceasing,

That something is always here,

Always stable,

Non-personal,

Which makes it so wide and so spacious.

And when tapping into this spaciousness,

I feel in my life,

Moment to moment,

That all is to be trusted so easily,

Actually,

So quick when things seem to be difficult.

Resting moment to moment,

Short moments of softness,

Make this life so special,

I would say,

Because life,

Because it's noticed,

Is always so mysteriously magical.

Even seeing people pass away,

Even noticing the deep grief that is with many of us,

Somehow in all of this softness is arising,

This love,

As if coming from underneath many times,

I feel.

And also by choosing to practice,

To not be too slobby,

To sit down from time to time and to open up to this non-personal awareness,

So to speak.

So thank you again,

Irene,

For being so open and so willing to share your experience.

May you be well,

May you be happy.

May we all be well and happy,

And free from suffering,

Yeah.

Sending much love to you,

Irene.