The Ordinary is Extraordinary

The Ordinary is Extraordinary

What is extraordinary about the Work is that it is for ordinary people doing ordinary things in ordinary circumstances. When taking out the trash, writing a letter, or brushing my dog, I have an opportunity to be present. Doing a common, mundane chore is no more or less of a chance to be present than doing something more public like performing music or giving a speech. Being present is always extraordinary. There is nothing mundane about waking up.

When I am inattentive and swept away by my sleep, I imagine my life’s events occurring on a sliding scale of importance, with this life event weighing more than this other one. I imagine, for example, tanking up the car to drive to a concert is less important than the concert itself. My experiences of self-remembering, fortunately, tell another deeper story altogether. If anything, I have the narrative all twisted up, because my moments of presence, whether ordinary or not, are the truer measure of esoteric existence.

In an affirming and similar vein, the Teacher emphasizes inconspicuous presence. This emphasis is meant to show us that vanity and showiness have nothing to do with waking up. There is no competition or celebrity status for being present to the daily events of our lives. When self-remembering, I am placing Higher Centers ahead of the lower functions and features of my machine.

In other words, when I am inconspicuously present to my life, I am in a state of acceptance and receptivity and am not concerned with appearances, status, personal credit, and fanfare. My internal, higher state is invisible to the world around me.

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A Lady Writing, Johannes Vermeer