Letter or Spirit

From the Vision Quest Tarot, Grand Father (Emperor); from the Bird Cards, Wagtail:

What is the difference between a dictator-like Emperor and one who protects and nurtures? The first follows the letter of the law (obeying the literal interpretation) while the other follows the spirit of the law (acts in accordance with the intention of the law and its spiritual principles). It's like the biblical explanation of a sheep being in a ditch on the Sabbath; a good person would work to get the sheep out (even though legally it is a day of rest) because it's the right and kind thing to do. The Wagtail card illuminates how an Emperor can keep from getting caught up in his own importance. Motacilla sp. has a habit of bobbing its tail, much like a happy child bounces on his or her toes. It thus represents being able to see joy and grace in any circumstance, instead of falling into the rigidity of seeing everything as good or bad.

 The quality of mercy is not strained.

It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:

It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

~ William Shakespeare, from "The Merchant of Venice" 

Soil and Harvest

From the Vision Quest Tarot, the Medicine Woman (High Priestess); from the Bird Cards, the Cuckoo:

In Buddhism, there is what is known as Threefold Training - training in morals/ethics, concentration, and intuitive insight. We must behave in a way that does not harm ourselves or others and learn concentration through meditation. These two prepare us for intuitive insight, which is not rational thinking (relying on our own ideas). The Buddha once said that when the mind is concentrated, it is in a position to see all things as they really are (intuitive insight). In other words, we see past our attachments and aversions to what is true; once past the ego's desires, we see other options and answers. The Cuckoo card represents the beginning of a new cycle, just as the cuckoo's song heralds Spring. It's wonderful to have access to intuitive insight, but it must be used if it is to be useful.

What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action.

~Meister Eckhart

Collapse and Renewal

This week I'll be using the Vision Quest Tarot, a deck created by Gayle Silvie Winter and Jo Dose (Illustrator); it was published by AGM Müller. I'll also be using Bird Cards, a deck and book set by Jane Toerien (Author) and Joyce van Dobben (Illustrator); it was published by Altamira-Becht. Today's draws are the Seven of Air (Swords) and the Phoenix:

The Seven of Air's keyword is 'futility' and illustrates this with a broken spearhead. What is it that we keep doing over and over, thinking this time the result will be different? We all have familiar behavior patterns that we tend to fall into when we are stressed or exhausted. It just seems easier to do what we know. Yet it is futile to repeat behavior (no matter how comfortable) that won't help us solve anything. The Phoenix is a mythical bird that suggests the collapse of the old so the new can arise. If we can let go of our attachment to how things are usually done, we may discover a new perspective and a solution.

The art of life lies in a constant readjustment to our surroundings. —Kakuzō Okakura

Old Dogs, New Tricks

From the Stone Tarot, the Ten of Swords; from the Buddhist Quote Cards, Dhammapada 3:42 :

Even some stoked fires fail.

~ Alison Stone

After defiantly and stubbornly insisting that "There is no better way than my way," we hit rock bottom. No eloquent words or intellectual maneuvers can get us out of the hole we've dug for ourselves. The beauty of this card is that we ask, "What now?" And that openness means we may be willing to listen to ideas other than our own. The Dhammapada quote reads:

Whatever an enemy may do to an enemy,

or haters, one to another,

far worse is the harm from one's own wrongly directed mind.

The verse suggests that our own mind can be our own worst enemy, especially when we don't question our thoughts or investigate to see if they match reality. The good news is that modern research has found that adult brains have the ability to change - they have neuroplasticity. In the words of Dr. Daniel Siegel, "the simple truth is that how we focus our attention, how we intentionally direct the flow of energy and information through our neural circuits, can directly alter the brain's activity and its structure." It appears old dogs can learn new tricks.  

The Foremost Happiness

From the Stone Tarot, the Five of Cups; from the Buddhist Quote Cards, Dhammapada 15:204 :

Though we might be enjoying a lovely day, let five minutes of inconvenience or irritation intrude, and that five minutes is likely where our focus will be aimed for the rest of the day. Just as the full upright cups are in the shadows and the spilled cups are up front and evident, so we humans have a tendency to fixate on what's wrong or unpleasant in life while ignoring what is good and beautiful. This mental track that our mind habitually follows can be changed with mindfulness and patient effort, but it takes a lot of practice. The Dhammapada verse reads:

Health is the foremost possession,

contentment the foremost wealth,

trust the foremost kinship,

and release the foremost happiness.

No one would deny the importance of health, the ability to be content, and trustworthy relationships. But to be truly happy, we must also learn to let go of trying to manipulate reality until it fits our ideas of what it should look like. As the Five of Cups card alludes to, such a delusion will only keep us from seeing what is good and beautiful around us.

New Guidelines

From the Stone Tarot, the Universe; from the Buddhist Quote Cards, Dhammapada 8:100 :

Now

illusions shatter

like dropped cups.

~ Alison Stone

Stone includes the planets of our solar system in her painting of the Universe. It was a reminder of the stunning discovery that the Earth was not the center of everything, but the Sun. Years later, astronomers would again shake things up when they declared our galaxy was just one of many in the Universe. From a spiritual point of view, this card does the same thing - expanding our minds and hearts in a way that we can no longer perceive things as we did before. The verse from the Dhammapada reads:

Better than a thousand meaningless statements

is one meaningful word, which, 

having been heard, brings peace.

The noise from words seems to never stop, whether from people talking, television or social media. How many of them create fear, stir up anger or cause sadness rather than bringing comfort, healing and encouragement? When the mind and heart open, we can no longer ignore the impact of what we say, post or write. We realize we need to be a part of the solution rather than the problem, which can begin simply with the way we communicate.

As we move through this beautiful and troubled world, may we vow to be a 

beacon of peace, a fearless carrier of respect and lovingkindness for all life, a 

teller of truth, a voice for justice, a protector of those who are vulnerable or 

targeted. May the power of wisdom, integrity and compassion be our guide.

~Jack Kornfield

No One Is Coming

From the Stone Tarot, the Eight of Swords; from the Buddhist Quote Cards, Dhammapada 20:276 :

We need not be limited by our stories.

—Mark Epstein 

Last year, I wanted to plant zinnia seeds in three large terra cotta pots. Unfortunately, the army of gray squirrels in my yard will dig up anything I plant in pots. I ended up stretching chicken wire over the tops of the pots with a wire around the rims to hold it in place. The seeds, once planted and watered, grew through the holes of the wire without a problem. The Eight of Swords card is like the wire we think is trapping us. We get caught up in how things are supposed to be or not supposed to be, and we forget to look past our stories. There's a lot of open space there to grow in if we'll see beyond our mental ruminations. The Dhammapada quote reads:

It is up to you to make strong effort;

buddhas merely tell you how.

No matter how many seminars I attend, what teacher I study with, or the number of books I read, nothing changes unless I make the effort to change how I think and act. As Henrik Edberg explained it, "...in the end, if you are an adult then no one is coming. No one is coming to save you. You have to take responsibility for your own life and what happens in it." The first thing I need to change is the stories I tell myself.