We exist, yet we don’t. We are here but are only briefly temporary. At first that may seem frightening, but as you dwell on it, it’s actually a source of ultimate safety and indestructibility. “… this principle of basic goodness is non-ego, nothing to dwell on anywhere, but utterly sharp and superbly immovable and steady. It is monumental nonexistence.” (C. Trungpa, “Smile at Fear”)

I am taken by these words. “Monumental nonexistence.” Just a few days ago, I took this picture of a face on a rock. It is imposing like a monument, but as you turn the corner, the face disappears and it is not really there. Just like us through time and space: here but ultimately nonexistent. As we engage with life from that perspective, we realize that nothing can ultimately hurt us. We realize that we are perfectly safe, and able to engage with the phenomena of the world with openness, kindness, and indestructibility.