Take Refuge

September 29 — Mindful Minute
Today, take a minute (or more) and take refuge. One definition of taking refuge is to find a safe place — find shelter. It reminds me of the Bob Dylan song, “Come in, she said, I’ll give ya shelter from the storm.” Sometimes, isn’t that just what we need? Someone or somewhere to get shelter from the storm. Those times when the wind is just blowing a bit too harshly, and we feel our feet lift off the ground. How can we find refuge? For me, it is through meditation — I like going to that quiet place — I like to calm the chatter. Through meditation, the layers of chaos will begin to peel away. Ramana Maharsi says, “Take refuge in silence. You can be here or there or anywhere. Fixed in silence, established in the inner ‘I’, you can be as you are. The world will never perturb you if you are well-founded upon the tranquility within.” We should all remember that — we don’t need to look outside of ourselves for refuge. The silent sweet shelter is with us all the time.