This Month’s Message: Fine Particles of Dust

Oyasama once said:

“You sweep piles of dust when it is noticeable, but leave fine dust because it is hard to see. When the fine dust becomes embedded into a mirror, it will stain the mirror.”

Anecdotes of Oyasama, no. 130

In the morning, you get up and draw back the curtains. Then sunlight pours into the room.

Suddenly, all the particles of dust, invisible until then, are dancing in the air, reflecting the sunlight.

Something similar can happen in us. When the light of Oyasama’s teachings shines into our mind, we may begin to see dust dancing there although we are usually unaware of it.

If we close our eyes and pay attention to our mind for a minute, we may notice that various thoughts come in. Although some of them are helpful, some others are unhelpful. If all this happens in a space of a minute, imagine the amount of unhelpful thinking we may experience over a course of a day, or a week, or a month. It may be staining our mind and marring its luster.

Turning our thoughts to Oyasama can allow a refreshing breath of fresh air to sweep through our mind. Perhaps we can try to imagine Her gentle smile. Dust particles that may have given a depressing feel to our experience of daily life—such as complaints, arrogance, and greed—may disappear as if running away in shame.

When the cloud of dust clears, our horizons suddenly widen. Our mind, as it were, comes alive again.

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