31 century museum: Inner World

Language : ENGLISH : THAI

When will I meet you again? It is not a person, an animal, a thing or a place, but it’s the state of happiness, bliss and wonders in our hearts that occurred from an impressive experience at one moment in time. In that particular moment, it felt like the lines which distinguishes you and me had vanished or that the surroundings, myself and all things had merge into one.

Early morning, 22nd July 2013. In a village of Sorfinnset, Norway, I woke up and recollected on the good impressions I had in the past. I took a walk, wanting to go and see the Sorfinnset Skole and the harbor that lies at the end of the village. I felt depressed when I saw the school. For now a new owner has bought Sorfinnset Skole. It was like an adulterated thing, like running into an old lover that you can’t greet, like having a faint border standing between us. I walked on, thinking about the harbor at the end of the village, where I sat to meditate at early dawn, four years ago. In my memory, it was most serene and beautiful. The air was cold and vapor floated above the water surface. All was calm. I felt that the outer serenity had also made the inside of me calm. It was one of the most impressive experiences in my life.

I kept walking towards the end of the village to find the harbor, but I couldn’t find it though I was quite certain I came the right way. So I continued walking until I reached the end of the road which was a cliff that opens to the sea, where I saw some seagulls gliding above the water. I sat down to rest and recalled the seagull from ‘Jonathan Livingston’ of how whether we live only to feed on fishes or are we born to fly freely in the sky, seeking precious experiences in life rather than just living to our fate.

At that very moment, I felt that the two are the same thing. My experiences in life has led me to the end of my thoughts and understanding that couldn’t be separated between living without seeking and living to search for the meaning of life. Being aware of the value of life that actually lies in the present moment, taking responsibilities and doing our best in our tasks, is what freedom from illusion thoughts is truly about. It is what really exists in the present moment, without being attached to the destination and success. Put the best effort into every activity and not discriminating between the thoughts of values and activity forms. In truth, result is the cause and cause is the result.

On my way back to where I stayed, I came across the harbor where I meditated. Old memories started recalling back on me. A place, which was once serene and beautiful, has changed so much that I couldn’t recognize it. The water had dried up with many submerged rocks. None of the boats was docked there as it once did. The place just seem unfamiliar. I decided to walk pass it without stopping at the harbor.

The feelings I felt inside at that moment made me realise that, sometimes when we were very fond of something or someone, we should let it stay behind. The same goes for negative memories, it might be better if we leave them in the past. There’s no need to recall them again. Instead we should open up to the present experiences and everything that approaches in our lives, whether they’d be happiness or woes, for “every moment has its own fingerprints”.

When will I meet you again? Or actually, has it always been with us in every moment, the pure love and the joy in our childhood.When we were a child, we lived without borders of distinction, we had never perceived of any sufferings. In every moment, time does not travel, time stops. Every place, everyone and everything that we encountered has led us to feel happy and impressed so easily that we don’t give them any significance, because everything around us is a special occasion in every moment.

When we grow older, we try to recollect those memories of happiness, peace, love and warmth in the past. Though at times, we are afraid to meet them again for the fear of disappointment with changes. These are just the reflection of impressive experience states at a particular time, which occurred from not having a border line between me and you or the place, between subjective and objective. This state of condition has always existed in us and will only appear when we truly accept the condition of changes that “every moment has its own fingerprints”, we should not adhere to perfection or imperfection of the physical, the memories in the past nor the illusion thoughts about the future. Including true acceptance and understanding the way to live without any separation. In every moment, we are the nature of the change.

Kamin Lertchaiprasert
22 August 2013