The Skylark

Re: the post from Following Darkness by Forrest Reid:

Isn't this space all we ever really want? You know, we travel to hell and back in this strange land we live in. Is the comment by Forrest Reid a lark, the sentimental flight of fancy? Is it romanticism? Frivolous imagination? Realizations like his get easily dismissed. They don't produce any commodity or product useful to commercial culture. What are we doing in our conventional existence, in our scurrying about, in our gathering all these material so-called valuables around us closer and closer, more and more? What are we doing gathering increasingly exotic experiences, stimulating ourselves with ever increasing variations of entertainment; seeking fulfillment, salvation and redemption in things external, whether they be relationships, experiences or goods? What are we doing constantly establishing comfort and security around us, putting all this energy disproportionately into securing our survival? Where is our focus, our attention? How much of it is on a skylark's song, penetrating into the magic of that song, the promise of that song? We give away our hearts to so many frivolous desires, distractions and pursuits.

Did Forrest Reid re-create this experience again and again? This is what I would want for him, to carve a path to his breakthrough. Capture the scent of it and work at returning there again and again. This is worthy work, noble work. Perhaps he hates working in his cubicle at Intel. The pay is good, it's prestigious, a good benefit package, and the potential for upward mobility -- but he hates it. His heart yearns to lay down in a grassy meadow and invite the skylark's song. With this song his heart bursts open and he finds the universe within him, the stars glimmering in his being. He finds the wellspring, the bliss that all the seekers down through ages have longed for. Is this not worthy work? He loves this, he loves it, this work, this play. Where did we lose our way? I say to Forrest Reid, follow your bliss. If you hate your job at Intel, then it is done. Pay the price, whatever it is, to make your path again and again into the heart of the skylark. This may be your destiny, rather than helping Intel make advancements in chip production. You have had a beautiful breakthrough. Now follow your heart. There has been little support and encouragement over your life to do this. Instead you have been conditioned to pursue that which the culture determines is useful, productive. The culture has rewarded you for following the path that achieves its goals, that produces the results it finds valuable. It reinforces with wealth, power but these things will not fulfill you. Follow the path of bliss so that it becomes familiar and second nature to you. Relive it again and again. Find your skylark's song, and like a fragrance on the breeze, let it transform you. Re-create it again and again. You have the scent of it. Let this fragrance surround you. Give at least two hours each day to celebrate it, invite it, rejoice in it. Re-create this space and vibration that you wrote about so that it does not become just a mere memory, a nice experience. This is worthy work. Perhaps you can give five hours each day to Intel. But set aside two hours for your beloved skylark. Eventually you will be able to re-create this blissful space any moment. In fact it is here every moment, always. This insight, this breakthrough needs to be nurtured or else it will fade and you will place it like a pretty stone on your memory shelf. Don't miss, don't let it slip into just a beautiful experience. Nurture it.

Post by Akilesh