We can make this into a little story... that he goes to one group of people, hands them a flower, and their first question is, "Where are your parents? Are you lost?"

Or he goes to another group of people, and there's somebody who says, "Oh, is that for me?"

Or he goes to another group of people and somebody says, "Oh, a nice flower". And that's it.

Or he goes to another group of people, "what's your name little boy? How old are you? Where do you live? What are you doing here? What school do you go to?"

 

What would you ask? In those different groups of people, which one would YOU be? The cautious one? Alert? "Where are your parents?" And there is logic behind it, there is reasoning. You can say, you know: "What if he's lost? I'm just doing him a favor."

 

There are moments in this life, when you are FORCED to understand something. It's not by your choice. You didn't ask for it. You weren't looking for it. You weren't searching for it. You didn't want it. You have never heard about it before. Somehow, a situation has presented itself, which is FORCING you to acknowledge something.

Now, some people call this situation bad, terrible. And some people call the same situation, "here is an opportunity for me to learn something."

 

 

Because this incredible power - every day, every moment, with incredible innocence and incredible joy, with an incredible smile - is handing me a flower of breath. And I am in that garden, and I am sitting in that garden.

And I know that I have a logical mind, and I would go - depends on my mood - I could go, "where are your parents, who are you, why are you giving me this flower, where did this come from?"

It's easy, but in my heart I know, in my simplicity I know that I want to accept that flower, I want to accept that breath, I want to accept every gift that I am being given. It hasn't stopped yet.

Gifts are still rolling. And for me to appreciate these gifts that I am being given, I have to have simplicity of that little boy; I have to have the smile of that little boy, I need to carry the laughter of that little boy that comes to me every breath to present me with this incredible gift of life, this incredible gift of breath, this incredible gift of consciousness, this incredible gift of understanding, this incredible gift of existence that keeps unfolding and unfolding and unfolding and unfolding and unfolding.

 

 

What's left?

What is left? The flower has been made, the child who picks the flower has been made, the child has already picked the flower, you have been made, you are already at the garden. And the flower has been extended to you. Now the only thing remaining is the acceptance ... to complete the most wonderful cycle of this life.

 

I have filled myself with many things, and what is lacking is the ultimate gratitude. I have felt many feelings, and the only one lacking is the peace. The Peace. I have taken many journeys, and the only journey remaining is the journey home. HOME. Away from doubt. We doubt. We doubt everything. We have learned how to doubt, so well. We question and we question and we question and we question.... Whether or not we get the answer, we keep questioning: question, question, question, question. What's left is THE ANSWER. That's what left. THE ACCEPTANCE. That's what's left. THE UNDERSTANDING, that's what's left.

That journey home - to within - where I'm not pestered by the doubts, where I'm not pestered with the confusion, where I'm not pestered with the questions; where there is a simplicity, where there is an enjoyment... OF THIS EXISTENCE. THIS EXISTENCE.

This means everything to you, your existence, your life, YOU.... the way YOU are - it's unique, the way you are, the way you think, the way you admire, the way you doubt, the way you question, it's unique. No two are alike. And in your uniqueness, you still have that offer of accepting, because your accepting of this life will be JUST AS UNIQUE.

How unique? As unique as the snowflake. No two are ever alike.

You, appreciating this life will be as unique as the snowflake. Don't you realize that this life has come... it'll go... it's quick. It's quick. A batting of an eye and the universe changes, nothing stays the same.

It changes. The earth is moving, going around and round, orbiting, plus wobbling. The universe is not in the same position. It's expanding and it's expanding and it's expanding and it's expanding. There are stars that are dying, and there are bits and piece of dust whirling around getting - maybe - ready to come up with another planet.

There are all these asteroids running around, all this debris running around, colliding with something, death is happening, birth is happening, coming is happening, going is happening.

All is in motion. Changes are everywhere. Change, change, change, change. In your body, it is changing.

 

Every day it is changing, it is changing, it is changing. And somehow you have made it your mission in life to stay the same. "I don't want anything to change. "God, give me a perfect day, and keep repeating it." One good day and just make everything else exactly the same. No.

 

Motion? How many times have you heard yourself say, "and I was sitting there very still...".
And I say to you, you weren't. Something was moving, something you don't even know about was moving: coming! the force of life was coming into you and going and coming back and going and coming back and going. Pulsing though your existence.

You want to be still. And the most still won't have you sitting still. The stillness moves. And that's all the still you can be, And I'm of course talking about this breath. Even when no part of your body is moving and you're sitting there, there is this breath that is coming and going in it's magnificence, in its stillness, in its beauty, in it's simplicity. And your life is afoot. Is afoot! And it's moving and its changing, and it's moving and its changing, and it's moving and its changing.

Question is, which way are you headed? Where are you going?

Going home? Or further and further and further away from that home? Have you got the answers or only more questions? You see there is no message in this world that challenges that.

There are many messages in this world that say, "It's good to question". But even that message doesn't say that it's good to receive answers too. That is left up to you.

 

So, what is this life worth? What is this moment worth? Everything? or nothing? the person who does know what gold looks like; the person who has no recognition of the gold, could be walking by that gold every day on the way to work, and not recognize it. The person who does not know to look at that beautiful diamond, could be walking by it every day and going, "God, bless me so I can be rich."

 

For us... for us, when the thirst has been provided within ourselves... the thirst. Somebody asked me this question, "What is thirst". And you know what I said? "If you're not thirsty, I can't explain it to you. How can I? How do I explain to somebody, what is thirst? If you don't feel it, what can I say? Because if that thirst is not recognized in our lives, if that thirst is not understood in our lives, and we come, and we are given everything, and there is no recognition of anything, then I will tell you what: This life means nothing.

But...

BUT, if we understand, if we understand that this is a chance, to be fulfilled; if we understand that this is the chance to feel that tranquility, to feel that peace. If we understand that this is the chance to be content. If we understand that this is the chance, this is the chance to understand the value of each breath, that this is the chance to understand the value of each moment, then guess what? This life means everything. EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING.

Nothing left out, nothing thrown away.

EVERYTHING.