Dusty Old Haunts

Last night upon arriving home from work I changed into my house clothes (oversized fleece sweats, sweatshirt and socks), opened up every window in the place to let in the fresh 62 degree temp, lit 2 sticks of nag champa incense, put on some Steve Kimock, turned on the lava lamps (yes plural), turned off the lights, took a tylenol pm, enjoyed a hot shower, then sat down on the living room floor and read this page from The Path of Tranquility by His Holiness The Dalai Lama... "The common enemy of all religious disciplines, the target of all moral precepts laid down by the great teachers of mankind, is selfishness of mind. For it is just this which causes ignorance, anger, and passion - which are at the root of all troubles of the world." Then I closed the book, adjusted my posture and sat silently for some time. It had been far too long since I had gone through such a routine. There was a period where any free time I had this was how I chose to spend it. Then at some point I got distracted. Distracted by the same things that everyone gets distracted by... work, t.v., family, friends, hobbies, love, etc. But I had committed myself to discovering this process again. To making sure that this kind of evening found its way back into my balancing act. Last night was the nicest evening I recall in a very long time. I concentrated on my breathing as I kept bringing my thoughts back from various people, places and randomness to the stillness of the present moment. What an easy thing to overlook yet what a peaceful pleasant place to reside. Being in a place in this life where I have shelter, food, clothes, health and the ability to spend an evening such as this, I regret nothing in my life. Every decision I have made has brought me to this peaceful moment. For that I am both fortunate and grateful. Let this post serve as a reminder to me to come back to this place as frequently as possible.