Russia is invading Ukraine. Inflation is out of hand. The supply chain (the Royal THE) is nearly broken. We are still dealing with society-at-large's response to COVID. And as I arose from sleep this morning, the sun rose from the east. At least it appeared to.
There is a parable that has been floating around for ever, attributed to the Buddha--without sources, mind you. I think the original source is Herman Hesse, but hey. Anyway, this parable has it that a person utilizes a boat to cross a river. Once he/she reaches the other side, there is a choice to either discard the boat or to pick it up and carry it along the rest of the journey. The meaning here is obvious. But knowing when to drop the boat and move on is not as easy as it may sound. We become very attached to our boats.
Sometimes our boats leave us. Teachers and colleagues die. Sometimes they change in a way that doesn't work for us anymore. Sometimes we change in a way that doesn't synch with them anymore. Growth is to realize that and move on. But again, it's not as easy as it sounds. I figure that many folks don't move on. If the teacher dies, they make him/her a deity and the teachings become larger than life. If the teacher changes, the students often change with him/her, regardless of what the changes mean. If the student feels the need to change, he/she will often ignore it. This is the root of suffering.
Some time back it occurred to me that perhaps the fear of heights is in reality a fear of jumping. I am reminded of Simba trying to talk himself out of going back to the village to take his place as heir to the throne, when the monkey shaman hits him over the head with his stick. "Why did you do that?" "Why does it matter? It's in the past." This is our lot. This happening, this experience, whatever it is, is constantly moving, as are all things. The antidote to potential suffering is to face it (whatever it is) head-on. To leave the boat.
Seeing things as they are, rather than as they are imagined, becomes a sort of curse. Once we realize it's all bullshit, it becomes rather difficult to carry on the same way. Of course, we can carry on, but if we want to stay in the flow, we can't in the same way. Perhaps to the outside observer it looks the same, or perhaps it doesn't. Either way, chances are it isn't. Intuition, man.
There is a parable that has been floating around for ever, attributed to the Buddha--without sources, mind you. I think the original source is Herman Hesse, but hey. Anyway, this parable has it that a person utilizes a boat to cross a river. Once he/she reaches the other side, there is a choice to either discard the boat or to pick it up and carry it along the rest of the journey. The meaning here is obvious. But knowing when to drop the boat and move on is not as easy as it may sound. We become very attached to our boats.
Sometimes our boats leave us. Teachers and colleagues die. Sometimes they change in a way that doesn't work for us anymore. Sometimes we change in a way that doesn't synch with them anymore. Growth is to realize that and move on. But again, it's not as easy as it sounds. I figure that many folks don't move on. If the teacher dies, they make him/her a deity and the teachings become larger than life. If the teacher changes, the students often change with him/her, regardless of what the changes mean. If the student feels the need to change, he/she will often ignore it. This is the root of suffering.
Some time back it occurred to me that perhaps the fear of heights is in reality a fear of jumping. I am reminded of Simba trying to talk himself out of going back to the village to take his place as heir to the throne, when the monkey shaman hits him over the head with his stick. "Why did you do that?" "Why does it matter? It's in the past." This is our lot. This happening, this experience, whatever it is, is constantly moving, as are all things. The antidote to potential suffering is to face it (whatever it is) head-on. To leave the boat.
Seeing things as they are, rather than as they are imagined, becomes a sort of curse. Once we realize it's all bullshit, it becomes rather difficult to carry on the same way. Of course, we can carry on, but if we want to stay in the flow, we can't in the same way. Perhaps to the outside observer it looks the same, or perhaps it doesn't. Either way, chances are it isn't. Intuition, man.
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