Life is Short by Jenny Hoople |
There is a spiritual significance to fall and spring, they are the seasons of transition, movements between the steady states of life and death, between breathing in and breathing out. The spiritual importance of transitions is seen in meditation practice, where one technique is to pay attention to the breath, and especially to the space between breaths to more consciously dwell in the moment. The specialness of transition moments is also recognized in Wabi Sabi, the Japanese aesthetic of the poignant beauty of impermanence and change. Celebration of transition and change is also seen in the concept of reincarnation and rebirth, of the great cycle that we are all a part of. All of these transitions, including fall and spring, are reminders from the universe to pay attention because this moment is all there is.
One discipline used for discovering and dwelling in the moments of transition is the practice of meditation. As you try to still your mind, you’re really trying to find the moment between thoughts and to extend that moment for as long as you can. It’s the same for the technique of following your breath in meditation. The breaths are like thoughts, but the very sliver of a moment between breaths, where it changes from in to out and from out to in, is where enlightenment is waiting. I feel that way about fall and spring, they are so short, but so important. The only way to dwell in and extend them is to try to be fully conscious of them, to really pay attention at those times of year. I like to try to notice the first flight of geese, the first leaf fallen on the ground, the first new sprout of green. My dad always says that it’s easy to find the first robin of spring, anyone can see the first robin of spring, the real challenge lies in finding the last robin of fall!
Wabi Sabi is a name for the very poignant and urgent beauty that accompanies transition. Wabi Sabi is a Japanese concept, of which, like all of these ideas I’m discussing, it is usually said that the truth of it is impossible to express in words. So, the gist of this concept is that it’s a name for the very deep and bittersweet beauty that is associated with that which is temporary and transient. The beauty of lichen on a stone wall; of faded, weathered boards; of loss. The beauty of fall and spring are Wabi Sabi. The transition from the stagnant state of late summer begins so subtly that by the time you see all the trees ablaze with color, it’s almost over. There is one day, just one, when you can identify that fall leaf color is at it’s absolute peak, and then the very next day, it disappoints somehow and then so suddenly is over. Here, that day was Saturday. I saw two trees all ablaze with color, and when I went back Sunday to take their picture, they were still pretty, certainly, but the magic was gone.
All of these small examples of the melancholic beauty of impermanence are tiny reflections of the beauty of the greater cycle of birth and death. I don’t believe in reincarnation per se, I prefer to think of it in earthly terms of the great cycle of life and death that every day churns around and through and over us. Fall and Spring are excellent times to acknowledge and mark the passage and then the renewal of life. It’s so appropriate that el Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is in the fall, a time to think about the passage of time and of loved ones who have left us. Here, in the northern states of America, it’s the time when our environment is shutting down for winter, in Mexico it’s the dry season, everything there is dry and brown and dormant, too. Spring is a time for celebrating renewal and rebirth. May day, Chinese New Year, and the winter solstice celebration, when the sun begins it’s slow return to long, warm, life-giving days, are all excellent examples of how we celebrate renewal in the spring.
Fall is such a brief time and it’s time is now. I’ll be striving to pay attention to every little sign: hearty soups, the fading flowers, geese honking, deer grazing in corn fields, frost on my windshield, people in sweaters, the sudden completion of road construction projects, fresh apples, too many pears, cinnamon sugar doughnuts. So much is happening out there! Enlightenment is now.
What does fall mean for all of you? I’d love it if you’d add a comment about what makes this time of year special for you! Happy pumpkin-carving everyone!!
Phyllis says
For me, fall is the time to take a deep breath and begin to achieve the different rhythm life takes on in fall and winter — more meditative and thoughtful, less busy and socially oriented. In many ways, it's my favorite time of year. Thanks for writing this blog and helping to keep me more mindful of what's happening in my life AT THE MOMENT.
Jenny says
Aw, you're welcome Mom 😀