“Think that all phenomena are like dreams… All that can be witnessed, seen, observed, is phenomena. Material phenomena, psychological, spiritual—all the same. If you watch everything as a dream, suddenly you will find something slipping out of yourself—the drop of the ego.”
— The Book of Wisdom by Osho

“The primal spirit loves stillness, and the conscious spirit loves movement.”

“Within our six-foot body we must strive for the form which existed before the laying down of heaven and earth.”
— The Secret of the Golden Flower, translated and explained by Richard Wilhelm

Usually, at the end of my meditation, when I feel aligned with the Tao, I begin bringing each person in my life into my mind, one by one, sending love and good energy from my heart to theirs.

Then I think of the plants, the house, the hills surrounding me. My awareness continues to expand, reaching farther and farther until, eventually, it embraces everything, dissolving back into the flow of the Tao.

But today, I experienced it differently.

All the people I love and remain connected with, every pet I have ever had, everything around me—they were all there simultaneously.

It was overwhelming.

There was no longer a sense of being filtered through the dimensions of time and space, nor limited by the capacity of my conscious mind. They simply existed as pure energy—each living their own lives, carrying their own unique essence, walking the path that life has given them.

Beautifully.

The world around me continues to move and transform, like the northern lights shifting through ever-changing patterns, colors, and densities. Everything we experience in this world is temporary. Events happen in one moment and set other events in motion, perhaps in another time or another place.

Constantly changing.
Constantly shifting.

And yet, beneath all things—in every living and non-living form—there is a pure energy that does not change. Its essence is always present, anywhere and everywhere.

I could not find words to describe how I felt. There were only emotions and tears—a sense of peace and warmth, of belonging, of being part of something expansive and beautiful. Something that runs deep.

I turned on some music.

Music expresses what words cannot.

Its melody, harmony, rhythm, and texture reach toward something the heart recognizes, but language cannot fully describe. The sounds vibrate within us. As we listen and lose ourselves in them, music becomes another way our deepest essence communicates with us—a beauty that feels familiar, yet exists beyond words.

It pulls the strings of our hearts.

And our hearts resonate with it.

After experiencing this, I know that this kind of connection exists.

When I look at the people I love, I can see who they are on the outside, but I can also sense the pure energy within them.

And they are beautiful.

There may be differences between us, but beneath those differences is the same essence that connects us. That connection does not disappear. No matter how far apart we may be physically, or where each of us may be on our own journey through life, we remain connected.

Even those who have passed beyond this earthly life are still, in some way, around me.

Perhaps every encounter we have—with a person, an animal, a plant, or even a place—is an exchange of energy.

If that is true, imagine the continual flow that exists between us and the ones we love.

How could they not become a part of us?

That realization brought tears to my eyes once again.

All is well.

All is well.

Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when he said, “the kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it.”

Perhaps heaven is not somewhere else, but something that is already here—woven into every moment, every being, and everything around us.

Perhaps it is always here.

Perhaps we simply do not see it often enough.