Yesterday my little one dragged me out of the house to play bubbles with her. As the bubbles were formed from our blowing action through the hole of which the bubbles were to be created, she invited me to use my nose to pop the bubble! I asked myself why I would do that, for it seemed so silly! Still, I attempted her suggestion since she seemed to have so much fun with it.
As I moved myself, or rather, my face and specifically my nose towards a particular bubble which I intended to pop, it seemed strange that I had a sense of fear arising! I mean, it is just a tiny bubble which is not even one tenth of my entire form and there I was, afraid of going near to the bubble! Factually, I was afraid that if the bubble pops as my nose touched it, my eyes would be hurt or my face would be wet; and interestingly as I ‘braved’ myself, determined to have that experience anyway, the bubble, as expected, did pop and disappeared right in front of it – except that the bubble did not ‘hurt’ or ‘wet’ my face as I had imagined; but instead made me realise how each time I am willing to just be present with each bubble (though in this case it is with my nose), the bubble disappears right in front of me.
Imagine each moment of our life, is each bubble on its own – created, floats for a while, pops and disappears. If a certain bubble signifies a moment of stress in our lives, it is common how we would turn our back or walk away from the bubble, fearful of how it would ‘harm’ or ‘hurt’ us; much only comes from our own imagination. Envisage if we just stood where we are, and not to say face the bubble head on for that would absolutely sound as if I am charging at the bubble, or the bubble charging at me; but to simply allow it to come to us, as close as possible and when it reaches our nose (meaning when we are present with it consciously), it pops and disappears all by itself, right in front of us.
So, life is like bubbles too; much like my previous “.” entry.
It is indeed much easier said than done. Until one can perceive life as just experiences, and that experiences are just like bubbles, and that bubbles themselves are not permanent, and that in each of its non-permanence is its non-existence; then one can begin to actually feel life differently – that in the nothingness of life, is blessed yet with the fullness of everything.
Wonderful, wonderful bubbles…