Many of you will be familiar with the term “Moksha” which in Sanskrit can be translated as enlightenment, salvation or nirvana. It’s considered the goal of our spiritual evolution as human beings as per the Vedic philosophy. It is freeing ourselves from our “identifications” of material life and merging with something wider, deeper and more expansive. It is ultimately freedom at it’s purest.

But whilst Moksha is considered a goal or destination, it is elusive, lofty and often seems far away. It is something that is often pursued as something to be achieved in the future, rather than something that can be experienced in the present moment. For those who consider life to be a spiritual journey and a place of learning, it’s often important to come back to the present moment and to catch those moments in our everyday lives. It maybe the sensation of the fresh morning air, observing the play of leaves in the breeze, the joyful smile on the face of a child, or those quiet moments sipping your morning coffee.

Life is full of ups and downs. The only constant is that everything changes. Good times, bad times; good fortune; bad fortune; good bank balance, bad bank balance! It’s all part of the ebb and flow of life. It’s easier said than done, but practicing non attachment to the ups and non aversion to the lows is an important life skill. Additionally, the practice of non judgement of what one perceives as good or bad is another important life skill.

2024 has been an incredible year of contrast for me. There have been the joys of caring for patients, watching them on their own challenging health journeys, rising above their fears, and coming through the other side. As my practice enters its 17th year, I now frequently hear of elderly patients that i’ve been fortunate to care for pass on. There have been some fabulous explorations of new horizons, Morocco and Malta particularly. And there has been the loss of my father, a general surgeon extraordinaire and my inspiration to pursue surgery. The year has been so busy, that I don’t feel I’ve had a chance to fully grieve the loss. I’ve experienced the exhilaration of a hole in one on the 8th hole of the Moonah course at the National; the challenges of a faulty building construction and repairs which was no fault of mine; and then the joys of selling and simplifying life.

This week I observed one of our senior surgeons at John Fawkner hospital walk down the corridor after assisting in his very last case of his career. It was a beautiful yet sad moment. He made a quiet exit. No fanfare. No cake cutting. No send off. Life is full of many exit moments. Perhaps they prepare us for our own grand exit. Being able to let go of attachments to those material aspects of life, enables us to eventually let go of life itself! Whoa, getting too deep and philosophical right there.

But yes it’s a reality and something we all have to face. Knowing that may help us notice those small, magnificent, mundane Moksha moments that makes life special and eternal. Yes, nothing matters, whilst everything matters. The paradox of life….

As the work year closes for me this weekend, I wish you all a great Xmas and Festive season.

Cherish those Moksha moments with family and friends.