love: the dark matter that connects everything

“This love is actually part of you; it is always flowing through you,” reminds Ram Dass.

“It’s like the subatomic texture of the universe, the dark matter that connects everything. When you tune in to that flow, you will feel it in your own heart — not your physical heart or your emotional heart, but your spiritual heart, the place you point to in your chest when you say, ‘I am.'”

It’s the final week of classes — next week is final exams, and the three weeks of winter break. It’s always a busy challenging time: reading and returning revisions and research papers, preparing students for finals and more. There’s so much more I’d like to teach, to share, to do with my students before I let them go.

But I broke my left wrist just over a week ago and had to have subs last week. I’m not supposed to drive and I’m on both prescription and OTC pain meds. I can only type with one hand. There’s so much I can’t do. There’s so much to do.

Next Friday the ortho will decide whether I need surgery to better align the bones before he puts on a hard cast. I stumbled on Saturday, bumping the wrist, and aggravating it. I’m worried, it hurts, and the pain is exhausting. So is healing.

I am reminded by these words from Ram Dass this morning to let the love flow through– to help my body to heal, and to help my students too.

Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo created the silk applique thangkas detailed above.  His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave his blessings to Leslie’s work and encouraged her to make images that speak to the spiritual aspirations of people across religions and cultures. Her Weekly Wake-ups such as this one provide a thread of inspiration to set the week on the path to awakening.