Nothing Lacking

From the Urban Tarot, the Three of Disks; from the Principles to Live By, Contentment:

When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.

—Lao Tzu

The Three of Disks illustrates a concentrated effort enforced with determination and tenacity. We lean into what seems immovable, and slowly progress is made. It's not that things are finished, but our vision can be seen in the shape of what materializes. Such a project often requires a cooperative undertaking, like the construction of this building. The Contentment tile might seem as if to suggest that we don't need to be ambitious, but that would be a description of complacency. The root of the word contentment comes from the Latin contentus, which means “held together” or “whole.” This principle actually helps us be more discerning about what gives our life meaning, so that we can focus on what is important to us.

What Fires Together, Wires Together

From the Urban Tarot, the Hermit; from the Principles to Live By, Contentment:

I think instead [of happiness] we should be working for contentment... an inner sense of fulfillment that's relatively independent of external circumstances. – Andrew Weil 

          Scott's Hermit is shown in the belly of the subway; the spirit form of Cerberus (the three-headed hound from Hell) lurks in the background. The Hermit has come to confront his demons - his habitual thoughts and behavior patterns. Unlike the Hierophant, who is eager to tell you how to act and what to think, the Hermit's assessment is based on an honest personal inventory of his motives and choices. He reminds me of Buddha, who after spending years studying with ascetics, decided to sit and look at his own mind. There he discovered the root of his suffering grew within himself. The good news was that since this was an internal rather than external issue, something could be done about it. Contentment is an inner wealth found in the small joys, wonders, and beauties of each moment, not in some future time and place. Without it, we find ourselves restless, irritable, and filled with an insatiable feeling of deficiency. Yet as Buddha discovered, what fires together, wires together. We can change our thinking by practicing gratitude - not the grocery list of what we're supposed to be grateful for, but what we can touch and see all around us if we pay close attention.