August 7th

Composure

Although they may have to kill
Or suffer themselves to be killed,
A person of composure remains dispassionate.
Nothing is ever destroyed,
Nothing is ever created.
All is infinity.

For most people, killing is an abhorrence. If they had to kill, they would be horrified and their emotions would be uncontrollable. Likewise, if they were being threatened with death, they would be afraid and would struggle to keep alive. Both those situations involve extreme attachment to what we know and how we wish to remain. Both situations indicate a fundamentally limited view of the world. We assume that we are truly destroying someone. But though this body may be slain, the soul cannot be slain. Every soul is but a part of an infinite, cosmic soul.
You could subtract numerous souls from the world, and the number of souls would not be diminished. Numerous souls could be born, and the number of souls would not be augmented. Nothing is truly destroyed, and nothing is truly born. Only appearances change.
Therefore, people of composure view the transformations of the world calmly. They do not become alarmed with the different permutations of phenomena. They know that these are all merely outer manifestations of an indefinable, unlimited, and infinite reality.



Personal Interpretation

We are all energy. Energy cannot be created, nor can it be destroyed. Thus, the essence of what we are is immortal in a sense. Death frightens us because it feels so absolute. This is only because we can't see beyond the veil of mortality while we occupy our human flesh. Does a room cease to exist because our gaze cannot penetrate the wall the separates it from where we sit? Death represents a kind of wall. It separates us from the next chapter in our spiritual journey. That is all. Composure is an invaluable skill to hone, as it enables us to respond appropriately to every situation we encounter. And how easily it comes when we understand that we are a part of all things and that the existence of our souls will have no end.