woodpecker

Looking out of the window, I see a spotted woodpecker, pecking furiously at the branch of a tree. I guess there is some insect beneath the bark. The woodpecker must be hungry. It is relentless, throwing its head at the branch over and over again. Watching this woodpecker tirelessly pecking away at the branch, it reminds me of the stamina that the spiritual seeker must find within himself, or herself. Getting to the bottom of things, reaching the truth, does not usually come so easily, sadly. We need a lot of perseverance to get to that point within us which is untainted, uncorrupt, which is our essence, our natural being. To find it, we have to peck away, peck away at our own illusions, and we have to throw a huge amount of energy into that search. We need as much stamina as this woodpecker is showing.

The sharpness of that woodpecker’s beak, this also reminds me of the diamond awareness that can cut through illusion, the sharpness of it. These are the things that this woodpecker is reminding me of as I watch it, pecking again and again at the bark of the tree. Sooner or later the bark will flake away and the woodpecker will come to that which it seeks. So it is on the spiritual path. If we are diligent enough, if we have enough perseverance, and if we can bring enough sharpness to our search, to our awareness, then we too will find that which we seek.