 “Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go.” ~Unknown Autumn is here, bringing with it a nagging sense of unease. Up until this point, we are generally comfortable with the passage of time. Winter gives way to spring, and spring leads to summer. As the days get progressively longer and warmer, our mood and general outlook on life improve. It feels like life is continuously getting better. But the moment we see that first yellow leaf, we worry that time is running out. We realize that the year, once so new and full of promise, is slipping away like sand through our fingers.
But it doesn’t need to feel this way. You might think that time is going by too fast, but efforts to slow down or freeze time are futile. As Alan Watts wisely said, “You cannot grasp it, just as you cannot walk off with a river inside a bucket.” Like a river, time’s nature is to flow. Any attempt to stop time from passing is an attempt to go against the basic rules of reality. Resistance to change is one of the leading causes of unhappiness. Yet, the natural world is never static- it’s in constant motion. As the philosopher Heraclitus taught over 2,500 years ago, “The only constant in life is change.” To resist change is, essentially, to resist life. Clinging to the belief that things should always stay the same only leads to frustration. Change alone doesn't make you unhappy. It's your attachment to the way things used to be that causes distress. Autumn is a reminder that endings are a natural part of life’s cycle. Without endings, new beginnings wouldn’t be possible. So, instead of resisting the falling leaves, why not embrace the changing season as an opportunity for personal growth? Take the time to reflect on your own life and consider what you need to release in order to move forward. As Pema Chodron reminds us, "When we resist change, it's called suffering. But when we can completely let go and not struggle against it, that's called enlightenment"
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 “Enlightenment for a wave is the moment the wave realizes it is water. At that moment, all fear of death disappears.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh This week’s quote teaches a profound truth about the nature of existence. In our last blog, we discussed the concept of oneness and the illusion of separation. However, it often takes the power of metaphor to really understand an idea. In this particular metaphor, the wave symbolizes your individual identity, while the ocean represents the deeper, unchanging essence that underlies all things.
If a wave was somehow capable of conscious thought, it may believe itself to be unique and finite. But, when this wave comes to recognize that it is not separate from the ocean, but an expression of it, a transformation occurs. The wave comes to understand that no matter what form it takes, its essential essence remains unchanged. When the crest eventually breaks and the wave disappears, it returns back to the source from which it originated. This concept is simple enough to grasp. But how exactly does it cause all fear of death to disappear? Perhaps it’s because the only thing you can know for certain is that you exist. As a result, there is often a lot of fear and uncertainty associated with the idea that you will eventually cease to exist. However, when you realize that you are an integral part of something eternal and infinite, you no longer have to worry about death being the end. In the same way, the enlightened wave no longer fears the moment when it crashes onto shore, because it understands that in falling back, it rejoins the whole. As Joseph P. Kaufman puts it, “We are like waves in the ocean, each with a unique character and quality on the surface, but deep down we are eternally connected to one another and to the ocean as a whole.” Just as a wave can find peace by discovering its unity with the ocean, you too can find peace by realizing your deeper connection to the infinite. Therefore, release any fear you may be harboring about your own demise. Remember that you are more than just a transient wave, you are the boundless ocean. |
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About The AuthorNick Hughes is a massage therapist, yoga instructor and co-owner of Well Being. Influenced by the ideas of Alan Watts, Eckhart Tolle, Ram Dass, and Deepak Chopra, Nick presents his unique take on human existence with the goal of helping others live a happier life. Archives
February 2025
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