From the Middle Way Arcana, the World; from the Vertical Oracle, Outside Shock:
We think that the point is to pass the test or to overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy. ~Pema Chodron
We can sometimes fall under a delusion when attempting to live a spiritual life. We imagine that if we say enough prayers, donate generously to charity, and read sacred texts daily, we won't have to deal with the hard parts of life. We feel like we can generate a way to be untouched by the fray of life. Yet as Outside Shock implies, we still have to deal with long lines, unexpected bills, the side effects of aging, obnoxious people, and losing the things and people we love. A spiritual framework doesn't protect us from challenges, it just helps us respond to them appropriately. Used correctly, it helps us meet each one as it comes, with clarity, wisdom and compassion.
That's the disappointing shock to many: that praying and meditating and believing in God and so on do not mean there will be no hard knocks.
ReplyDeleteWe've been trained that if we work hard, we'll get paid back bountifully. Expectations don't work too well with spiritual practice.
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