From the Vision Quest Tarot, the Five of Cups; from the Bird Cards, Gannet:
The cracked and broken bowls show loss well; what was whole and full is no longer either. It doesn't take long to learn about loss in the physical world. It may be a favorite toy or tool that breaks; it may be a friend who moves or a pet that dies. It is the natural cycle of things and the First Noble Truth: pain and dissatisfaction (
dukkha) is an inevitable and unavoidable part of life. But what is optional is how I deal with it, whether I add suffering to the pain I already experience by refusing to accept what has happened. The Gannet is a large seabird known for its voracious appetite (it will also eat just about anything). Because of its insatiable hunger, 'gannet' is also used to describe a greedy person. Yet the bird doesn't trespass into other birds territories - it sticks to its own fishing territory. This quality added to the Five of Cups makes me think of clinging: whatever brings me pleasure is what I tend to think creates my happiness. When it is lost, I attempt to hold on to it anyway, creating more suffering for myself. I feel like my security blanket has been ripped away. However, it's not my enjoyment of people or things that cause the problem, but my clinging to them
as if they are permanently mine.
When the heart grasps what is painful, it is like being bitten by a snake. And when,
through desire, it grasps what is pleasant, it is just grasping the tail of the snake. It only
takes a little while longer for the head of the snake to come around and bite you.
~ Ajahn Chah, A Still Forest Pool
Your post reminds of a line in the movie Phenomenon. John Travolta's character knows he is going to die and soon. "Everything is on it's way to somewhere."
ReplyDeleteWe are a bit clingy and your post is a good reminder to just let go of 'it' and get moving to our next somewhere.
"Everything is one its way to somewhere" - what a great line, and so true!
DeleteI think we are clingy and controlling because we think it will give us security. Living moment by moment with whatever comes up is so unpredictable and scary that we'd rather hide under our blanket of illusion
ReplyDeleteIf we could learn to enjoy and appreciate without adding that label of 'mine.'
DeleteHa, painful emotions and over-eating, guess where these cards took me?! I love that the Vision Quest has the two full cups high up, just beneath a crescent moon. Acknowledging the emotional cycles of life can help... We've been watching Vikings, and the Christian priest keeps quoting "There is a season for everything, a time to live and a time to die." Then the main Viking character says, "Perhaps our Gods are not so different." And then we come to the Buddha's wisdom, another different, perhaps gentler way to talk about the same thing :)
ReplyDeleteScott Peck had it right when he stated, "Life is difficult." But thankfully it is wide and deep enough to hold joy and beauty too!
Deletea native american deck based on the Thoth deck. It fuddles my brain :)
ReplyDeleteJust gave my Thoth away - too many new Thothy decks I prefer like the Rosetta or Liber T.😊
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