I have a thing for mountain lakes. When I’m lucky or I wait long enough, I see myself … my image reflected on the stillness of the lake. It could be the breeze … it could be the rain … that keeps me waiting. The ripples on the lake make me wait … sometime long enough that I simply turn around and walk back to where I came from. I let go.
However, I was somewhat lucky on the shores of Trübsee. There was a gentle breeze … gentle enough so that I could see my reflection on the lake. And then … suddenly … there was this thought planted by the universe … like a seed. What if there were no ripples on the mind’s lake? Will I be able to see my real self? Will I know who am I?
Am I the person who thinks? Am I the person who feels? Am I the person who experiences the world with the five senses? Or are they just ripples in the mind?
So when the ripples cease to exist do I see my real self? Is there no ripple when I see my real self? Is the act of seeing not a ripple? Or is it that when the ripples in the mind cease to exist all that remains is the real self? When all that remains is the real self where’s the need to see? What’s there to see?
I often think about two birds—one eating a fruit and the other watching it eat. Who’s attached and who’s free? Whose mind is full of ripples and whose tranquil? So whom do I want to identify with—the bird who eats or the bird who observes. Who’s pure and free? Who’s the real self? Who am I?
I think I know the answer now!
