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Tending to Change Blog
Triggers as Teachers: Getting Free Instead of High
In Ram Dass' teachings, he shares a pivotal moment in his spiritual journey when he realized he wanted to be free more than he wanted to get high. It's a common experience among us all on the spiritual path - we enjoy a moment or period of bliss, joy, or love - getting "high" - which is then followed by an inevitable low. We begin using our methods as a way to stay high and push away the lows. This creates a kind of yo-yo effect on our lives. Once we really understand that, we begin to shift toward wanting to be free instead of high.
Butterfly Wisdom: Navigating the Extinction Burst of Patriarchy
…the butterfly cells exist as unmanifested potential within the caterpillar until the larva is within its chrysalis, its body breaking down into only the most life-sustaining cells. At this point, the imaginal cells - the seeds of a future becoming of a butterfly - awaken and begin to create a new form and structure.
But the caterpillar cells don’t just sit back and allow this to happen. The caterpillar’s immune system actually sees the imaginal cells as a threat, and so they fight and resist the butterfly cells until a critical mass of these cells form, resonate, and come together (cohere), ultimately resulting in the creation of an entirely new creature - one that is delicate, exquisitely decorated, and capable of flying and adventuring anywhere it pleases.
It’s not that the caterpillar cells and butterfly cells are separate. They’re part of a unified whole that contains within it the polarity and resistance necessary to compel the butterfly cells to strengthen and persist until the innate compulsion to transform and metamorphosize is complete.
Meeting the Moment with Courage
The poly-crisis that we’re collectively living through is reaching a fever pitch right now. It can seem absurd or even irresponsible to allow space for joy, dreaming, and creative expression while so many of our worldwide relatives are suffering at the hands of runaway capitalism, militarism, and religious & political fundamentalism. Rage is a rational response to the current state of things. But what are you going to do with it?
How to Make Time for Meditation
In my experience, and maybe you can relate, it often seems easier to read a book or article about meditation than it is to actually meditate. I’ve had more than one person commiserate with me about how we know that meditation is “good” for us—that it can help us gain a clearer perspective, appreciate life more, and even support the healing process—and yet, it’s so damn hard to find the time for it! Well, believe it or not, there’s something even more important to figure out before deciding when, where, or how long you “sit” for…
Embracing the Paradox
When we’re viewing life from the eagle’s perch, we begin to notice a theme – that all of life is paradoxical and constantly changing. This human existence is one of duality - birth/death, hot/cold, light/dark... and more than one thing can be true at the same time.
According to a foundational Buddhist teaching, we are doomed to be blown about by the Eight Worldly Winds unless we engage in spiritual practice. These Eight Worldly Winds are: pleasure/pain, gain/loss, praise/blame, fame/disrepute. They are constantly arising and passing away, beyond our control.
Nothing lasts forever. When we open to this truth, we discover that there’s no need to cling to or resist anything…