Reflection of a Skull

Staring into the deadness of a human skull, I find myself falling into a deeply meditative state of reflection. My inner self seems to connect with the reality of this skull. The skull is completely dead; I am full of life. Yet, there is a human skull presently within me. The paradox only comes full circle as I clearly see the life that has been breathed into me. Soon, that reality will vanish.

A young Rwandan man once inhabited this skull. His life was seemingly cut short at the hands of Hutu rebels. He was slaughtered to death by machete in the 1994 genocide that claimed nearly 1,000,000 lives in a matter of 100 days. The breath of his life vanished without notice. Now, only his skull remains as a testament to his existence.

One day his skull will disintegrate, following the path that nature has carved. My skull will also follow this course. As I relate to these truths, I’m forced to realize the spectacular moment that is before me. It is the precise moment in which life has been breathed within my seemingly dead body. And I find myself wasting much of this precious time.

My mind runs rampant with ideas of how to create positive change and in search of exploration. I’m distracted from the deeper realm of reality and the temporal nature of my being. I ambitiously set out to “accomplish,” setting aside thoughts of the nature of my existence. Everyday, I tend to fail in connecting with these fundamentally important truths. I get carried away with what my mind deems to be “life.” Incredibly, I miss out on the simple truth that life is simply “breath.”

It is written in Genesis, “for dust you are and dust you will return.” These words speak to me strongly as I look into the lifelessness of the skull. I sense the dust that I am. Yet, I find a connection with the Divine – that which breathes life into me. This is the only basis for life.

I find myself called to live in stronger connection with the Divine by holding a heightened awareness of the breath of life within me. My mind’s scattered and convoluted thoughts must be set aside. The simplicity of life must always remain present within me each moment of my day.

Remember; your skull will soon lack the breath of life as well.

TS