Ending the “More Machine”
by Amita Schmidt
In Hawaii, the coronavirus shut down the whole tourist industry overnight. Suddenly one evening, the world of 24/7 lights, action, luaus, activities, and partying vacationers came to a screeching halt.
It was eerie to walk past miles of big hotels and see only empty, dark buildings. I felt as if a giant machine, the machine of “doing” and “more,” had stopped. In that moment I thought, What about the “more machine” between my ears? and I realized that this too could stop. And I remembered Adya’s very first teaching to me on retreat in 2003. He said simply, “This is it.” There isn’t something more. At the time, it was in reference to my spiritual seeking.
Now his words are an invitation for a full stop on every level. This is it. There doesn’t have to always be more. The silence of being is enough.
