by James Traverse
One timeless night, as Siddhartha Gautama, I found refuge under the ageless Bodhi tree. The leaves rustled gently above me, whispering secrets of the cosmos, while the earth beneath pulsed with the rhythm of life. I crossed my legs into the lotus position, closed my eyes, and inhaled deeply, casting off the tangible world for the realm of introspection.
Time slipped away, countless breaths rose and fell, and thoughts danced like shadows against the surface of my mind. But I remained, unwavering in my quest, steadfast in my vigil. The countless tales of suffering, joy, birth, and death intertwined in a grand cosmic dance, revealing the endless cycles of samsara.
As awareness seeped into the marrow of my being, I dived deeper into the depths of reality, seeing all lives that ever were, are, and could be. I was no longer Siddhartha, but every sentient being that existed in this breathtakingly immense universe.
Just when it seemed as if I was caught in an infinite loop of incarnations, a profound insight pierced the fabric of my consciousness. I saw the essence of all phenomena, the impermanence of existence, the roots of Dukkha, and the universal interconnection of all beings. I was every sentient being, yes, but simultaneously, I was none. I was, in essence, the infinite void and abundant fabric that held all of existence in an ephemeral dance of emergence and dissolution.
A rush of ecstasy swept over me as I realized the truth. Instantly, fear, ignorance, and desire were shed away. In their place blossomed a compassionate understanding of the Universe, and the dawn of Enlightenment broke within me.
As my eyes fluttered open, the first hint of dawn graced the amorphous obsidian of the night sky. Amid the transitioning palette, one celestial entity shone with a gentle yet potent radiance – the morning star, Venus. As I gazed at it, it was a mere celestial body, and yet, it was the entire cosmos.
The Awakening of the Morning Star
At that moment, embracing the world in my gaze, I felt my awakening resonate with all beings. The Universe did not stand separate from me but bloomed within me, as ceaselessly dynamic as the morning star itself. The morning star was there at the moment of my awakening, and it has continued its cosmic dance ever since, as if reflecting the timeless wisdom of the Buddha-nature: we all have the seed of the Buddha within us.
Whoever you are, reading these humble words, know this – you are the morning star. That same clarity that sparked in me under the Bodhi tree is within you. Look inward and realize that you are not separate from the flux of the Universe; you are it. Awakening is not a distant dream, but a present reality, hidden only by a veil of ignorance. Here and now, you too, are a Buddha, waiting to open your eyes to the beaming Morning Star of your true nature.
