Picture: Redwood Forest Nothern California Coast
We mark Armistice Day, the signing of peace between the Allies and Germany that ended WWI on 11-11, at 11 a.m. in the year 1918. It was a day of celebration for the Allies and a symbol of peace for what was touted to be the war to end all wars–how wrong that proved to be. It is still a day to remember–for those who sacrificed much as well as a day of peace. This is also the anniversary of the birth of Swamiji Satchidananda, for whom so much is owed
On this anniversary day I walk among giants. We are here in northern California in the Redwood National and State Parks–entering one of nature’s great cathedrals. A remarkable aspect of Redwood trees concerns time. The oldest of these living trees can be traced back to before the time of Jesus, and the ancestors of these sequoia redwoods stood tall during the time of dinosaurs! Strolling beneath these pillars of the forest, some reaching over 300 feet high my attention is naturally drawn skyward; as well as making me think of long stretches of time, at least by human standards.
This reflection on time put me in a train of thought about the affairs of man. My brief visit–hours of walking on a couple of days–would barely register by redwood standards. However, even in this too short of time the clear sense of soulfulness in these Sequoia sempervirens is abundantly apparent. These ancients exude longevity, a perspective that makes human calculation based on the minute, hour and day seem all too insignificant. What are years compared to millenia, was not 1918 only a moment ago?
Certainly each person’s perspective is important to them; a moment can make time stand still, or a lifetime can be over in the blink of an eye. Even the millennial view, however long by our standards, is still only a blink of an eye in eternity. And this is where time becomes a plaything. It is relative to the state of consciousness we have in the moment. Whether time has come to a stop, is crawling or flying by, whether we think in expansive geological time or measure the microseconds of a sprinter, the concept of time is pliable and ultimately dependent on the individual.
Our ascent into Divine Consciousness proves that time and timelessness are completely dependent on shifts of consciousness. The soul may rise up and know that time is suspended when absorbed in transcendent awareness. The Over-Soul has ever been, it is now, and it will ever be. This is not a mere philosophical concept, but an obvious reality to the all-conscious Self. Even as God-consciousness can span the space of a far-reaching galaxy or even the universe itself, and then be found to be equally present in the miniscule atom, so can the Divine be in vast reaches of time, or in the eternal moment of now. For God-consciousness is transcendent to, and immanent in, both time and space. It is the great equalizer–to omniscience the life of a flower is on equal footing with the life of a stellar system, or even a universe.
Peace is not something that occurs at any particular time, such as when an agreement is signed–it is an ever-existent state of being that can be made self-evident at any and all times. Just as a state of Self-realization is not something to achieve, such as making something new, rather it is something you have ever been, only unaware of it. We think that the world can one day be made perfect, but it is already perfect! A newborn is perfect, so is a child and a young adult, through all stages the individual is perfect just as it is, only that one may not be aware of it, that is all. You would not say, while watching a play, that it is imperfect without seeing it to its end, only at the conclusion can you properly ascertain its worth–and so it is with life.
The feeling of peace and the perspective of time I experience while hiking in this forest is one of life’s great experiences. Just so, you may know peace now–whatever your circumstances; it is your eternal gift. As I meander in awe at the feet of these grand beings I feel their ancient wisdom in the simple quiet. They awaken in me through thought, “What is a moment? See what a brief speck time is. Know the eternal verities if you would be wise: patient awareness, silence, stillness, vibrant life-energy resounding, standing straight and reaching for the heavens while rooted in the earth and drawing strength from kindred spirits, these are whispered truths that seep deeply into my soul from theirs, as I walk among giants.
Redwoods: gets its color from tannin, which protects the trees from insects, fungi, and fire. Redwoods can absorb half of their water needs from fog. The roots of the trees are relatively shallow, however they get much of their grounded strength from interweaving their roots with other redwoods. These giants have a tiny seed, only about an inch long. Much of their new growth is a result of cloning, a bulbous formation will activate when the main tree is damaged and grow a new tree, genetically identical to the original. A redwood called the General Sherman is, by volume, the largest tree in the world.
Picture: Standing among one of the medium size brothers
