This week I'll be using the Middle Way Arcana, a major arcana deck based on the ideas of Buddhism. This deck was one I created for personal use with scissors and a glue stick. I'll also be drawing from the Vertical Oracle, created by Antero Alli with Sylvie Pickering and published by Vertical Pool. Today's cards are the Magician and Resistance:
Mind is the forerunner of all actions.
~Dhammapada 1:1
The Buddha understood how our thoughts shaped our world, at least how we perceive it. Thoughts that are habitual begin to create ruts in the mind, making it easy to repeat and rely on them. We often have no idea what goes on between our ears, we just respond without question to whatever we think. Yet thoughts are at the root of our happiness and our suffering. Just because we think it doesn't make it real; we've just assumed it is so. Then we act on what we think, confirming our false expectations, regardless of whether there's any truth in it. Resistance suggests trying to stop something - if it's our thoughts, good luck with that. But what we can resist is the urge to view them as fact and the urge to take action based on that belief. We can ask ourselves if we are truly content or if we feel miserable most of the time. If it's the latter, we can begin to become aware of our thoughts and question them. Awareness drains their energy and gives us the opportunity to shape our world in new ways.
A belief is not merely the idea the mind possesses; it is an idea that possesses the mind.
~Japanese proverb
wow, well said. I've resisted the creation thread after the first post, I've been waiting to see the project finished. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! :) Of course your wonderful soul collages were my inspiration!
DeleteI am trying to work on my own thinking brain and stop worrying about what others think. It's not my business what goes on in their brains although I have tried to make it mine. It takes work, no magic 'poof' to facilitate change.
ReplyDeleteThat is so true - retraining our minds takes a lot of practice!
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