Sinking Higher

The lights lowered as our class rested back into Savasana. For the past hour we all spent contorting ourselves, wringing out every last bit of tension. There is nothing like a well-deserved Savasana.

As the music lingered on, the faint sounds of chirping had me believing I was drifting through the Amazon, lost deep within the jungle. Time and space were solely on a vibrational level.

With carefully selected, soothing words, our instructor led us to take the experience even deeper. She guided us to breathe in with the word “Sat” and exhale with the word “Nom”. “Sat” meaning “I” and Nom meaning “am”,” she explained to the class. “Then fill in the blank, Sat Nam ______. I am _______.”

My intellect got the best of me as it took control of the moment and reminded me, “”Sat Nam” means much more than that. It is the Great I AM.” My heart counteracted the thought and said, “Just go with the instruction: I am what?”

Mr. Intellect butted in again and said, “When you practiced to Rainbeau Mars’ ra’yoKa every morning for over six months, you always used the word “RADIANT” to describe yourself. Maybe you should use that.” My gentle side replied, “But this is Now. Why not allow something else to fill in the blank? Let yourself go.”

So, still deep in a meditative state, I breathed in deeply and thought “Sat”, breathed out and released myself with “Nam”, and the thought “Buddha Nature” naturally filled in the blank. “I AM Buddha Nature.” Remaining on that frequency for some time brought my entire being into a higher horizontal state of humming bliss.

If I had it my way, I’d sit and melt for a half hour or so after each class, but “class is over, back to the real world.” Since this class, I’ve seen a fair share of Buddha statues, now with a heightened appreciation of the icon. He’s no longer Buddha: some being that lived long ago, from some far-away place. He’s a reminder that we all are Buddha Nature.

Picture Resource: Tiantai Buddhism