What Do You Own?

A few days ago as I sat outside and wrote notes on my ongoing observations of the Tree, I pondered why at one point I had somehow decided to personalise the ownership of the tree.

In my mind, it somehow moved from "the tree" to "my tree". It served to remind me that the tree doesnt belong to me. Sure, it is planted in the backyard of the house I live in, which I rent, but this does not make it mine.

If I bought the house, this might make the tree my responsibility in the eyes of the law of man, but the law of man is not the law of the universe.

So the tree is simply the tree. It is there, for the enjoyment of those that happen to be near it but analyzing it, meditating over it does not make it mine.

But then again, and from a different perspective, the tree and I are made of the same stuff. Does the fact that I am "more concious" than the tree give me a right to claim it as part of me? I think not.

Another pespective is that everything comes from the same source and therefore we all are one, including the tree, the stars and so on. Then the tree and I are "I am", indivisible and united expect by the perception of unenlightened man.

I did not debate this internally for a long time, but these perspectives served to remind me of attachment. None of the things that I can claim as "my own" in the laws of man, are actually mine in the laws of the universe.

They are simply things I have acquired the right to make use of, but they can just as easily disappear. They are drawn to me by my maintaining my vision of who I am and in my expression of who I choose to be.

None of these things, objects, relationships, that I surround myself with are truly my own, other than in image... using my "imaginal power" as Neville writes.

Maintaining an awareness of my detachment to the "things I own" is always freeing, although I love the experience of living in my home, driving my truck, kissing my girlfriend.

So hats off to my "I am" and healthy respect for "my own"

May peace be with you

The Tree

A few months back I finally actioned my plan of getting a spiritual guide, more like a consciousness facilitator.

I figured that if the success and business principal of "surrounding yourself with experts" in order to succeed works there, then why not use the same principal in helping me make more headway in enlightening my path through life.

To be sure, I did great on my own and still do. I'm not giving up my personal power of choice, or following some dogmatic approach to my expansion. Nah, that's too confining for me. So I put my request in with the law of attraction and was led to a wonderful teacher.

For now, I've been visiting with her monthly and just like the flavor in each onion layer becomes more intense as you get closer to the core, so too have my sessions with her, and the ensuing "homework".

This brings me to the Tree. Ah . For the next month I am to focus on a single tree in my daily meditation. I meditate in the morning just after waking and in the evening just before falling asleep. In my focusing on this tree, I'm to observe it and make any notes that come to mind.

It's wonderful really, I've been spending time with this one particular tree since I moved in here. It is old, I couldn't say how old, but its about 50 ft tall and covers almost the entire backyard in shade at some times in the day.

Judging by the trauma to it's bark and the number of branches that have been cutoff over time, I'm guessing that this tree has seen many things. I've pet it sometimes, greeting it like a fellow soldier, a kinsman. It has a warm, happy aura. I find that I feel good standing below its branches, besides the free shade I get in the summer.

So I continue observing the tree... day 5 tomorrow. Not that I'm counting because its boring, but simply because when I hit 30 I know its time to visit my teacher again, and thats something I really value.