The Temple of Life and Personal Purification

Recently there has been a tragedy in my life. I was studying (not at diligently as I would like to admit!) at home when there was a severe house fire there.

I survived, my housemate survived - everything else was lost.

I had the clothes on my back, and nothing else.

No shoes.

That morning I thought myself bold enough to suggest living my ideas of having a more humble and spiritual life - I shared this idea with a friend and then I quickly dismissed it due to my “stuff” holding me back.

There is nothing to hold me back now.

I have none of the old items I used to be attached to. And yes, I do have new things in some parts - the things I need, not always what I want or like.

I don’t have the luxury of having enough to be distracted by, well - not in the ways I could be driven to boredom by distraction before. My old place was a temple to distraction, games, books, dvds and cds adorned it - there was something hiding in every corner that you could get lost in.

While that gave a great idea of space, it really lacked in the ideas of depth, of meaningful content - it really lacked when it came to me.

I am not what I own.

I am not where I live.

I am not the books on my shelf.

I am not even my dreams or fears.

I am me.

And that had to be okay, because for a little while - that’s all I had. That, a pair of jeans and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt.

I have none of the shelves of books bought absentmindedly - read (or half read) then quickly forgotten about.

If I wanted to keep an idea, I had to become that idea to keep it alive and around.

No more if’s, but’s ands or maybes - this is it.

So...

Now my life is my temple. My body is the only home I will ever truly have. My thoughts are mine and mine alone. Words are hollow and empty unless they are lived.

Just as the master’s of old had to inhabit the teachings to ensure their proper transmission over great distances and many language and culture barriers - I must inhabit the teachings if I want them to still be with me on the other side of this transformative time.