Meditation: "The Present Moment River"

Last night, while I was having a hard time falling asleep, I fell to thinking worried and fearful thoughts, until, thankfully, an old, comforting thought came to me. I pictured life as being like a river – a river called the Present Moment River – and reminded myself that it was my good fortune to be a part of this river. And I wasn’t just a boat on top of the river; I was part of the river. Since this Present Moment River is ceaseless and irresistible, I have no choice but to be part of it. In a sense, I am a captive of this river. As I lay in bed in the darkness, this thought slowly settled me down into a feeling of security and tranquility. No matter how bad things seem – either during a sleepless night or during a day when small catastrophes seem to be happening – the Present Moment River is always peacefully flowing exactly where it wants to flow, and where it must flow. It controls everything. Whatever is happening is happening because it’s part of this eternally flowing river in the present. This led me to a thought that always brings light and consolation to me: I may as well relax and allow this to happen, because it has all the power anyway. The fine art of “allowing” is one of the key skills that anyone who yearns for peace and contentment must learn. If we can give in and simply allow the Present Moment River to be its beautiful, harmonious self, a wonderful kind of power will enter into us. Last night I slowly felt that power spreading through me, and before too many minutes, it seemed, I was awakening in the morning after a refreshing rest.