Liberation from Extremes

From the Middle Way Arcana, Temperance; from the Vertical Oracle, Monkey Mind:

The Buddha's message was simple but profound. Neither a life of self-indulgence nor one of self-mortification can bring happiness. Only a middle path, avoiding these two extremes, leads to peace of mind, wisdom, & complete liberation from the dissatisfactions of life.

~Henepola Gunaratana

Buddha lived many years as an indulged prince, but when he acknowledged the inevitability of sickness, aging and death, he decided to try ascetism to find meaning. Neither approach showed him how to live a content and purposeful life until he sat down under a tree with a fed belly and meditated without expectation. He realized a path that accepts the pain inherent in life yet also offers a way to avoid dumping more suffering on top of it. He taught a Way that didn't involve extremes. Monkey Mind is a reminder that these extremes can be mental as well as physical. Ever found yourself making pointless lists of things or traveled down a rabbit hole searching the internet? It's all forms of intoxication, and Buddha would encourage us to seek mental clarity and peace instead.

Monkey Mind

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 Death and Monkey Mind:

At one time or another, everyone loses something.

~Lama Surya Das

The Five Remembrances remind us of the natural course of a physical existence: we will get older, sick and eventually die; we will one day be separated from everything and everyone we love. Our deeds are the only ground on which we stand. If we are a humane human, we have a soft and tender heart that allows us to experience warmth, wonder and joy yet can also support us in grieving our losses. Though grief is natural, if we don't want to add to our suffering, we will not rage against what normally happens to everyone in some form. Monkey mind occurs when our mind is a swirl of chaotic thoughts and feelings - like a monkey jumping from one branch to another. As Yongey Mingyur describes: "Our minds are like flags in the wind, fluttering this way and that, depending on which way the wind blows." Loss can easily transport us to such a mindset, but awareness - bringing our attention to our thoughts and emotions without bias - can help us find equanimity. Open awareness permits us to see that we are being swept away without attaching to our thoughts and emotions, and it can aid in our release.