Lessons from a stone

I picked up a stone from a natural path which is not far from my home.

The stone is not very big. It seems to be a piece broken off a larger stone, as some of its borders are still sharp-edged. It is a little bit rough to the touch and leaves a fine dust on my fingers when touching it. Its surface is more or less flat because of the erosion of wear but you can notice the grain of its original texture.

I observe and touch it slowly. I appreciate dark areas and other redder ones. The more closely I look at it, the greater is the feeling of having a full mountain in my hands. I wonder whether there is really any difference  between this stone and any peak of the mountain range. If I was a molecule this stone would be the Universe for me.

I realize the huge amount of life that is unfolded in that stone that I cannot perceive through my senses, but that it is there from so many years ago.

I can hardly imagine its origin. I know it belonged to a larger piece. I know that water erosion has transformed it. I imagine a rock being moulded or the water drawing on it deeper grooves that become worn and create new forms; I imagine the cracks and the time of falling off. I imagine air and soil, worms and ants; and then man removing that land

Now cars are passing on it and also people, like me, are continuously passing by and being supported by it as  part of their path.

And, for me, this is surrender. In each moment it has served what the particular situation demanded from it. Each time you touch it, your fingers are filled with it. Each time a car wheel rolls over it, it takes away something from it, and the same will happen when the wind blows strongly. It will become dust, smaller  and smaller and finally, when it disappears completely, it will be everywhere.

That is surrender for me. You disappear in it because you give yourself completely in each moment, you become smaller in the world of form, but, paradoxically, without intending, your presence becomes huge and eternal.

I am going to put it back to the place I picked it up. This exercise has been enough to receive what it had for me. In this way, each time I pass by that path or each time I watch the stones closely I will remember the meaning of surrender.

I like that this stone becomes a ritual object that I can live outside my bedroom so as I can remember, each time I see or listen to stones under my feet, what surrender means to me and the opportunity of surrendering I have in each step.

When attention becomes adhimoksha, and the look is full of reverence, ritual occurs. Then the stone becomes my teacher and in front of such a special meaning my answer is gratitude and the most absolute respect.

I express all this joining my hands and bowing down before the stone.

 

E-mail me when people leave their comments –

You need to be a member of David Brazier at La Ville au Roi (Eleusis) to add comments!

Join David Brazier at La Ville au Roi (Eleusis)