Skills for Challenging Times
Friends, how are you holding up? Perhaps consider the special opportunity these challenging times offer. The stress of suspense is everywhere. So is impatience. Half the country is in dismay at the other half, and visa versa. Judgmental criticism is rampant leading to feelings of futility, and anger that will only increase as next week Mars is stationary direct while Jupiter conjunct Pluto is exact. The possibility of riots and reckless acts has only been delayed. If we attach ourselves to each fact that appears in the feed, to the never ending stream of speculation, we will miss this opportunity to exercise our willpower, and to practice detachment in this world of impermanence.
Whichever candidate wins, tens of millions of Americans will feel disenfranchised, and they will suspect the worst about their fellow citizens. Hate has always been a big part of America’s shadow, but now the hate is in the open. It may be helpful to remember that the U.S. Pluto return will be with us through at least 2024 if not 2026. This return involves America facing its many shadows. It will be a slow process. So it will be helpful to develop patience and detachment now. The battle between a theocratic autocracy and a progressive republic won’t end with the outcome of this election. It’s been building incrementally since 2016.
Detachment does not mean that we don’t care. It means that we understand impermanence. It means that we understand the ups and downs that are inevitable in our world. We can still devote ourselves to helping to realize the changes we desire. We can still feel the exultation of victory and the agony of defeat. But we can also make room for all the other aspects of our lives. We can be creative. We can be appreciative of others and of nature. We can eat well and get enough sleep. We can educate and empower ourselves with inspirational study and practice. We can can find joy and laughter even during dark times. We can explore the many wonders of an ordinary day.
The ancient Chinese classic The Secret of the Golden Flower tells us that when we surrender to desire for, suspense about, and fear of the world we are leaking our vital consciousness, weakening ourselves, disconnecting from our deepest core that is beyond time. The Secret of the Golden Flower describes this sorry human condition: “Our thoughts are rapid; a single random thought takes place in a moment, whereupon an exhalation and inhalation respond to it. Therefore inward breathing and outward breathing accompany each other like sound and echo. In a single day one breathes countless times, so has countless random thoughts. When the luminosity of sprit has leaked out completely, one is like a withered tree or dead ashes.”
At such times we must turn around the light. We are reminded that all these political upheavals, all these luxuries and the terrors, too, they are temporary. Whatever happens, we can do our best. When we feel helpless before the threats and tragedies beyond our control we can focus on what is in our control. The little things we can do. Consider your body, for example. Are you flooding it with the hormones of anger and fear? That is like pouring gasoline into a garden. Is the garden that is your body neglected? Are events outside your control so important that they require the sacrifice of well being?
In The Secret of the Golden Flower the way to turn around the light is simply to put your mind on your breathing. To soften and slow your breath until it is almost imperceptible. Don’t fight thoughts, just let them swim past. This is detachment. Creativity, play, exercise, sexuality, gardening, cooking, there are so many ways to leave behind the suspense that will still be there when we return.
When apprehension, impatience and anger crest like great waves over us all we have a wonderful opportunity for developing skills that can greatly improve our lives. Moderation, patience, detachment can be ours. Take some time to meditate. Soak in the tub. Do something that makes you feel good. The cultural battle dividing America and much of the world will continue. Let’s make sure we do, too. We can’t contribute to making a better world if we worry ourselves into exhaustion and sickness. Find the opportunity for a healthier life in the present moment.
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