The Demanding Teacher

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, Death; from the Rumi Cards, 'Don't despair:'

From the wise words of Buddhist teacher Judy Lief:

Death is the great interrupter, unreasonable and non-negotiable. No amount of cleverness will make it otherwise.

Death is a strong message, a demanding teacher. In response to death’s message, we could shut down and become more hardened. Or we could open up, and become more free and loving. We could try to avoid its message altogether, but that would take a lot of effort, because death is a persistent teacher.

Death turns out to be the teacher who releases us from fear. It’s the teacher that opens our hearts to a more free-flowing love and appreciation for life and one another. When we get stuck in self-importance and earnestness, death steps in. When we get caught in self-pity, death steps in. When we become complacent and take things for granted, death steps in.

Death spurs us forward with a sense of urgency and puts our preoccupations in perspective. Death lightens our clinging and mocks our pretensions. Death wakes us up. It is our most reliable teacher and most constant companion.

We have all kinds of thoughts about what happens when we die and how we and others should relate with death, but through meditation we learn to recognize thoughts as thoughts. We learn not to mistake these thoughts and ideas about death for direct knowledge or experience. We learn not to believe everything we think or everything we have been told. (Don't despair!)

Expertise

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, the Eight of Pentacles; from the Rumi Cards, 'Fragrance:'

An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made, in a narrow field. 
~Niels Bohr

          Why would a person devote years of study and practice to a single area? So they might understand deeply its inner workings and be able to help those who find themselves floundering in a sea of general knowledge without answers. We've all been there with health, home or other issues, holding a riddle that no one could seem to solve. Thank goodness for their commitment and focus that could one day be applied to finding solutions and explanations for others. Rumi's Fragrance card suggests that the Universe is tapping this hardworking fellow on the shoulder. Hopefully, he's not too riveted to notice. It may save him a lot of work fixing a mistake later on down the road.

Still Standing

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, the Nine of Wands; from the Rumi Cards, 'Fear:'

You know I'm still standing, better than I ever did

Looking like a true survivor, feeling like a little kid.

I'm still standing after all this time,

Picking up the pieces of my life without you on my mind.

~ Elton John

          People who've survived hellish childhoods or traumas, those who've been deployed to fight overseas, women who've been battered and abused, those who deal with chronic mental or physical illness, and folks who struggle in poverty are symbolized by this card, particularly if they've managed to survive with a little hope and determination still in them. Yet living in survival mode can create behavior patterns that are hard to shake, even when a person finds a more stable life. Rumi suggests that if love is to thrive, we must cut off the head of fear. Rather than being triggered by past memories and repeating old behavior, we must learn a new way to live that keeps our heart and mind open. Emotional memories can inform and guide us, but only if there is concrete evidence in the present.

Rise Up

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, the Six of Pentacles; from the Rumi Cards, 'Awareness:'

          The kneeling beggars are symbolic of Western culture today - we believe literally in 'ask and it shall be given' or 'thoughts become things.' It's why books like The Secret have sold millions of copies and why prosperity gospel preachers are so popular. But take an objective look around; those who buy the books or send in donations may briefly have a brighter outlook, but their life situations stay much the same. On the other hand, the authors and preachers are doing quite well financially. Rumi's Awareness card suggests we stop looking for an outside fix for an inside problem. Instead of anesthetizing ourselves with feel-good platitudes, we look with a discerning eye at what will improve our well-being and what won't. A positive attitude may help, but effort and discipline will likely be what show results. In the words of Jesus, " Rise, take up thy bed, and walk."

Stirring and Settling

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, the Eight of Cups; from the Rumi Cards, 'Beats its wings with joy:'

I've been a long time leavin'

But I'll be a long time gone.

― Waylon Jennings 

          The strange grayish-green sky in this Cups card is similar to the color of a sky before a tornado. Often it takes a similar scale of emotional turmoil before we decide to leave relationships, careers or locations. Security of what we know can often keep us in unhealthy places. Yet sometimes it is not the 'other' that is the problem, but our own mindsets and patterns. If that is the case, no geographical cure is going to be successful for long. Rumi's verse speaks of a swan flying away from a body of water in the rain; as it gains distance, it feels joyful and unburdened. It can take time to feel the positive effects of leaving, whether the change is physical or mental. Buddhist author Lodro Rinzler gave a good example of this with a clear glass of water (which represented the mind's natural state of clarity). But then he added a big spoonful of dirt, which symbolized the rush of emotion we feel when an event happens. Left alone (sitting only with the physical sensations of the emotion), the dirt settles and the water becomes clear again. But most of us pick up a spoon (our thoughts) and stir the water, creating mental stories about what is happening. If we can put some distance between those thoughts and the emotion, our mind and heart will be able to find its joy again.

In Search of Joy

From the Albano-Waite Tarot, the Knight of Wands; from the Rumi Cards, 'Open your heart:'

          An image of the Knight of Wands would make an excellent logo for an energy drink. He's already moving while most people are still considering their options. Full of confidence and enthusiasm, he'll kindle any fire that looks exciting. What he won't do is remember to water the seeds he plants. He's not much of a follow-through kind of guy. Rumi's words encourage us to open our hearts. Many people have shuttered their hearts after trauma or experiencing betrayal in an attempt to heal, and some may forget to open them up once again. But perhaps one of the most prevalent reasons for closing the heart is busyness. We have only so many hours in a day to accomplish all on our to-do lists, and we don't want any distractions. Yet Rumi reminds us it is an open heart that allows us to experience true joy rather than manufactured happiness.

We can’t control joy. It is something that bobs up when we are truly alive and meet the whole world in an instant.

—Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara

Unfettered Mind

This week I'll be using the Albano Waite Tarot, a recolored version of the RWS created by Frankie Albano and published by U.S. Games. The oracle deck I'll be pairing with it is the Rumi Cards, created by Eryk Hanut and Michelle Wetherbee and published by Tuttle Publishing. Today's draws are the Queen of Wands and 'Humiliated like pharaoh:'

          The Queen of Wands holds a sunflower as her scepter - a good symbol of how she rules and views life. She prefers to look at the sunny side of things and insists folks be as flexible as her cat in their thinking. Sure there are plenty of things that are wrong, but if that's all we concentrate on, we'll never get off our bums to do anything. Knowing pessimism will drain the energy out of any group or project, her strategy is to dwell on solutions rather than just the problem. The Rumi card brings up the story of Moses who led the Hebrews out of the Pharaoh's slavery. While confidence is a needed trait in a leader, Rumi's words suggest that humility is also a must-have. In the Queen's case, it makes no sense to expect other people to have an open mind if she can't also make space in hers for other ideas or ways of doing things. Rather than get stuck defending her own views (which will stagnate any progress), she can open up to other possibilities. In the words of Pema Chodron, "If your mind is expansive and unfettered, you will find yourself in a more accommodating world, a place that's endlessly interesting and alive."