Resisting Change

From the Middle Way Arcana, the Wheel of Fortune; from the Vertical Oracle, Zero Point:

The fact that impermanence and change govern our lives might seem obvious. It is less obvious that much of the confusion and anxiety we experience in our everyday lives comes from resisting change.

~David Nichtern

The Buddhist Wheel of Life shows six realms which illustrate how we relate to life and how such patterns can cause us misery. In the God Realm, there is blissful self-absorption, but also a niggling worry that things won't stay as good as they are now. In the Jealous Gods Realm, things are good but not as great as some have it, thus there is envy and constant comparison. In the Human Realm, our portions of pain and pleasure are driven by a longing for certainty. In the Animal Realm, rigid and defensive behaviors are an attempt to avoid all pain and discomfort. In the Hungry Ghost Realm, there is an addictive drive to fill an emptiness within us and find contentment. In the Hell Realm, anger and rage are the lens through which all of life is seen. Zero-point energy in quantum physics is the energy that remains when all other energy is removed from a system. In this case, it suggests we let go of our our struggle to force life into a form that we prefer. Instead, we can learn to relate to life with acceptance and adaptation; then our focus will be on flourishing rather than fighting.