Magnificent Life
by Art Grigorian

There is so much happening out in the world that it is becoming harder and harder to stay grounded and sane. The world’s madness and insanity have developed and refined its own separate gravitational force it seems. It has been feeding off of our gradually decaying minds and weakening bodies. Because of its ever-evolving and ever-growing magnetic pull, we are finding it almost impossible to leap over a puddle of water. Soon we won’t be able to lift a foot and take a step forward.

We don’t notice beauty anymore - the morning fresh air, the neighbor’s moving silhouette outside your window, subtle scent of the wild rosemary growing by the sidewalk, the flowers in the vase, the moving shadow of the wind-chimes on the patio wall, the shining eyes of our excited children as they show us their findings from the garden.

We are not fascinated by the world around us anymore. Even beautiful sunsets are turned into artificially filtered momentary snaps on an iPhone screen to supply food to the ever gluttonous Instagram newsfeed. All we see and react to is the ugliness and noise that has taken over our everyday reality through the media. We have become rough and defensive and have grown an impenetrable shell that covers that in us which is sensitive, loving - that which is subtle.

We have to create access to the subtle world that is inside us and magnify that reality a billion times and externalize it. That can be done simply by breathing consciously as we go about our day and paying attention to our surroundings as we walk, drive, or drink coffee. This way we won’t injure ourselves, others, or create tension in our bodies and minds - tensions creeps into our minds and bodies mostly from lack of attention, a scattered mind. We can also access the subtle world through honest work and our daily chores. We have to find a way to stay fascinated with what we do whether it’s washing the dishes, playing the violin, kissing our daughter's eyes, or scrubbing the floors. We have been taught to think that these are fundamentally different things but they are not. They all point to the intrinsic nature of all beings - to the world of the subtle. All that is required is our full and undivided attention and the results can be magical.

I invite everyone to become more sensitive to the subtle world around us, to the delicate brush strokes of nature to its most intricate nuances by listening to and looking at things mindfully and patiently at all times with relaxed eardrums and a calm eye. I invite everyone to become fully absorbed and fascinated with life with all her qualities. I invite everyone to relax a bit and enjoy this life without being a burden on anyone or on the planet and feel an affinity with all beings and see the ethereal quality in all that is.

Photography by Samvel Sevada