Surely planet Earth is a miracle. The Earth and it’s place in the universe still seems like a miracle despite centuries of scientific probing, conjecture and theory. Don’t worry, since I have little training in science, I don’t aim to get deeply scientific in this post. What I will do is use some jaw-dropping conclusions from science to remind us that you and I are miracles. Furthermore, I want to encourage you to remember to rest in the miracle you are.
Earth Perhaps Shouldn’t Exist
Here’s the first amazing scientific conclusion. According to Astrophysicist Erik Zackrisson, there are a lot of planets in the universe. In fact, there are around 700 quintillion planets in the universe. Nevertheless, there’s only one like Earth. In other words, the chance of planet Earth being the way it is equals one in 700 quintillion. Or to put things in appropriately striking terms, from a purely statistical standpoint, Earth perhaps shouldn’t exist. And, since everything about you depends on planet Earth, you, like planet Earth, are a miracle.
You can read more about Zackrisson’s work here: blogs.discovermagazine.com/d-brief/2016/02/22/earth-is-a-1-in-700-quintillion-kind-of-place/#.WfTjlHTyvyg
We (as in you and I as individuals) Perhaps Shouldn’t Exist
The earth is an astonishingly rare event. Yet, you being here is much less likely than one in 700 quintillion. Yes, you are more of a miracle than this wonderful planet. How much more of a miracle? Here’s the second stunning conclusion.
According to Dr. Ali Binazir, the chance of you being here at this point in time is something like 1 in 102,685,000 , that’s right 1 in 10 followed by over 2 million zeros. This means that before you’ve done a single thing on any given day, you are astronomically rare and amazing!
Every breath you take is a miracle—every step you take while walking or running is an extremely rare event in the universe. So, each life on earth is startlingly precious due to its rarity and unlikelihood. Yet we forget the miracle that is our life. We grow restless and always want more.
If you’re interested in how Binazir reached his conclusion, here’s a link to his blog. You’ll also find a useful graphic there: blogs.harvard.edu/abinazir/2011/06/15/what-are-chances-you-would-be-born/
The miracle is not to walk on burning charcoal or in the thin air or on the water; the miracle is just to walk on earth. ~Thich Nhat Hanh
So in a very real sense, when you come home to the present moment, when you come home to three calming breaths in the midst of the workday, or to the taste of the tea you’re sipping at break time, that’s a way to let go of the rat race, just for a moment, and to rest in the miracle of life, in the miracle of you in the here and now. Please give it a try. Fully experiencing the treasure that is human sensation, deeply connecting with a single cycle of breath, is a way to directly connect with the miracle of life. How could you regret this?
This link is to a talk by Thay wherein he describes the practice of walking meditation as a practice that helps us relearn how to rest in this miraculous life, just as it is. www.lionsroar.com/resting-in-the-river/
I hope you have a wonderful week!