It’s Not Two, It’s One

Birth is not one thing and death another.  Attachment is not one thing and grief another.  And when we misperceive these singular processes as two processes the mind can act as if the destructive half of the process were the ONLY half. 

Creation and destruction are ONE process.  A wave begins by rising from the ocean, and then at its peak, it begins to “fall” not many people notice that it’s all just a rising motion until the rising motion ends.  Even at the very last bit, the wave is above the ocean.  Even when it is falling back to the ocean it is still “rising” above the ocean.  It is one process.  Birth and death are identical to this.  IF we see ourselves as individual objects non-connected from the whole then birth seems like a gift and death seems like a theft.  But the singular cause of death in ALL CASES is birth.  All death certificates are false.  Where it says “cause of death” the only REAL answer is “birth.”  You were “murdered” by your parents on day one.  The path of destruction is not relevant.  Can we say the cause of death of the wave was “the shore?”  Or, seen clearly, can we say that waves splash because they rose in the first place or if you prefer: “What goes up must come down.”

So what is the practical application of this?

Let’s look at grief, which is the second half of the singular process called “attachment and loss.”

If you are grieving something and your mind is fixated on the second half of the process it will say that something was lost not noticing that something was gained.  

What went up, came down.

So, what is the way out of this mental trap of seeing only half of the Yin-Yang symbol?

Were they worth it?

Was loving them and IS STILL LOVING THEM (loss has no effect on how much I love) worth the pain of grief?

Seen as one process the mind can’t run its “poor me” scenarios as easily.  Seeing that, just like the wave is always rising, love is ALWAYS a positive.  We gained love, we are able to continue to love, and that remains.  It is a gain.  Only object consciousness and Egoic form-based worldviews can say that the loss of the form was “everything” – e.g. “I’ve lost everything…” 

My father is “dead” and I can love him as much now (maybe even more) than I did when he was “alive.”

So what did I lose?

Not love.

All forms dissolve.  AND the fact that they exist at all is an amazing event worth celebrating. 

Oh, and by the way, your EXISTENCE (exist means to “stand out”) is also not two processes but one.  Non-existence (non-form) and existence (form) are ONE process like the ocean and the wave.  It’s not two, or if you prefer Nondual.  It is ONE process that includes forms arising and dissolving.

Don’t forget to notice that like the wave and the ocean form based life is all rising.

Much love.