Indeed Only One

You are worried and upset about many things but few things are needed-indeed only one.

Luke !0:41-42 NIV...from the parable of Martha and Mary

I woke up this morning with this very powerful reminder coursing through every inch of me and the words came out like a wise and confident guru in my mind. I heard/thought so clearly, "I don't need anything." I knew in that instant of awakening, as I lay there,  that I truly didn't "need" anything from this world.  I don't need to work nor do I need to "not work". I don't need a body that works 100 percent and I don't need a body that doesn't work 100 % for secondary gain. I don't need health  and I don't need illness.  Heck, I don't even need to stay physically alive and I don't need to physically die. I don't need a committed relationship and I don't need to be out of a committed relationship.I don't need to be with other people and I don't need to be alone.  I don't need to be rich and I don't need to be poor.  I don't need the good opinion of others nor do I need their less than favorable opinions ( for ego reasons).  I don't need a nice clean and comfortable show house nor do I need a home that is run down demonstrating where I am in regards to life circumstance right now.  I don't need things to always work out nor do I need them to keep being so challenging. I don't need  others around me nor do I need to be alone. I don't need to put effort into my appearance nor do I need to deny my outside appearance. I don't need to be a hero and I don't need to be a victim. I don't need to be happy and I don't need to be sad. I truly, truly don't need anything form this world! 

I woke up with that so clearly in my mind and I came out here for my morning practice looking for something to listen to and I randomly chose the video listed below from Eckhart Tolle. In the first few minutes he shares the line from the parable of Martha and Mary. And it is like OMG! I once again. felt the tingles of serendipity running through my body 

There is only one thing I need (any of us need) and it isn't "out there".  It is in here .. .Mary knew that and chose to sit at Jesus' feet 'doing' nothing.  Martha did not know that and she "worried and upset" ran around mindlessly trying to do something Jesus would praise her for. Instead of  offering praise, he reprimanded her for her "doing"  because she had lost sight of   the "one thing" tin that doing and complaining  

I realized this morning as I lay there absorbing the thought ( before  I even came to this video) that it is the evolution of my consciousness from object focus to a transcendent one, what  Tolle refers to as "space consciousness" in the video, that I need.  It is the only thing I need..  The only thing that truly matters is that "I wake up."  

Hmm! The wisely evolved person (which I am not at this point!) doesn't care if they are poor or rich, sick or healthy, unemployed or working, living n a run down shack or a beautiful mansion.  The wisely evolved person's joy and sense of purpose is not dependent on the ever changing conditions of this crazy, busy world.  They are peaceful and fulfilled no matter what is or isn't happening "out here" because they know the only important thing is what is happening inside. 

The day before yesterday, after doing a lot of upper body resistance in my yoga practice (probably aggravating old muscles not used to that) , I found myself  "worried and upset" about the ice on my walkway.  So I went at it with a shovel.  I mean I went at it....pounding, chopping, lifting.   It was very hard physical work and I found myself, about 15 minutes in to the activity,  suddenly experiencing a great deal of chest pain and other physical symptoms that often go with it. I stopped and did an ECG reading on my FitBit watch...it was inclusive and the symptoms subsided a great deal ( the pain did not go away but it did diminish) when I rested so I debated about getting back at it.  Something inside said "No! Not a good idea. It isn't that important." So I listened and abandoned my mission.  I concluded that it was just a mild exertion induced coronary vasospasm  ...no big deal. I didn't even need the nitro.

The chest pain, however, an hour later  crept across my right chest and into my arm pit getting quite annoying ...so much so that during that evening's yoga class I found myself unable to do many of the poses ( I usually gently try and push each pose to the point of discomfort regardless but I couldn't even put my arms down) .  When I went to bed I couldn't take a deep breath or lift my arm. I half  concluded then that what I was experiencing  and what I experienced  after the ice attack activity  was not coronary vasospasm but a torn pec.  So I was relieved but annoyed. Also more than  a bit confused.  The pain progressively got worse leading to more confusing symptoms as the night and the next day went on.  It was fine when I was doing nothing but when I got up to do anything...even just walk it would suddenly become worse and hard to breathe.  At some points of activity it was even "crushing" and I really couldn't breathe well. It was like WTFork? What is this.  The "worry and upset" took over again...for a bit and just a bit.  

Though I did question to myself and others if this was indeed just a torn pec and not something more serious like a cardiac thing or a pulmonary thing...I, out of nowhere, was overcome with this sense of peace.  It suddenly became "So what? So what if it it hurts.  So what if it is something serious? So what if it kills me? I am not going to worry about it.  It isn't that important.  It really isn't." Now...I wasn't being stupid.  I wasn't going to let it go forever untreated.  I had made up my mind if the pain got worse or if it didn't subside with an NSAID I would take my nitro and go in etc.  But even that was not important.  What was important was that I realized how unimportant it all is...all the "upset and worry" I used to put into this health and body...unimportant.  Pain...unimportant Physical life...though amazing and beautiful and worth experiencing every minute of it...unimportant if we are not doing what we are here for.  What is important...the only thing...is waking up. 

I am quite sure this is just a pulled muscle and that might be why it seems so unimportant but I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that something in me is waking up every time I realize that there is indeed only one thing that is important. I need only that!

All is well.

Eckhart Tolle ( July 19, 2022) The Most Important Thing in Our Lives. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NacNuEgU9yc