by Joe Zarantarella
Most people see enlightenment
as a noun, as a thing, as
a steady state, as something
to be reached or achieved-
and always, always somewhere
in the distant future.
I see enlightenment as a verb,
as a process of ripening,
ripening until one day
the fruit just falls from the tree.
No amount of effort on the
apple tree's part can speed
the ripening of the apples.
It takes the right conditions
though - sun and rain - and
the great thing is, unlike apples,
the right conditions are
always already present
to ripen your soul.
Simple being present
to whatever is unfolding -
to just this,
right now, just this -
opens your soul to the
ultimate sun and rain.
And one day your soul
becomes so ripe; that it
just lets go of its limb-
and falls gently
ever so gently, back
to the warm ground of Being.
