Earthy Heaviness

From the Roots of Asia Tarot, the Ten of Pentacles; from the Mah Jongg Oracle, Water:

          It is thought-provoking that the creators of this deck use elephants for the suit of pentacles. These earthy animals can also symbolize the heaviness of responsibility we incur from our earthly gifts. The more we have, the older we become, the weightier our obligations. It is no wonder that the booklet suggests meritorious action for those of us with such gifts, which fits nicely with the symbolism of Water. Merit in Buddhism is something done to purify and improve the quality of the mind and actions that will bring harmony to one's life. There are ten such merits under the umbrella of three categories: Dana (Generosity), Sila (Morality) and Bhavana (Meditation). Having generosity as the foremost merit isn't a surprise. Being willing to share one's resources, including time and energy, with others helps keep stagnation and heaviness at bay.

Cradler of Secrets

From the Roots of Asia Tarot, the Queen of Cups; from the Mah Jongg Oracle, the Dragon:

Being a cradler of secrets has, as the years have passed, made me gentler and more accepting.

― Irvin Yalom

          The Queen of Cups nurtures by being able to listen deeply and compassionately without judgment. She's not in a hurry to give advice or fix. She would agree with Vicki Lannerholm about the role of counseling: "Sometimes what we need is time. Time to feel what we are feeling until our emotions run out of energy and we can resurface for air." The dragon - a symbol of good fortune - is a remind of how fortunate we are if we have a friend who can keep our secrets, listen to our pain, and provide comfort just by their presence. May we never take them for granted.

They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. 

— Carl W. Buechner

Great Awakening

From the Roots of Asia Tarot, Judgment; from the Mah Jongg Oracle, Bamboo:

All beings are Buddhas,

But obscured by incidental stains.

When those have been removed, there is Buddhahood.

 —Rangjun Dorje

          The creators of this deck call Judgment the Great Awakening, when the ego sheds its illusions and our true nature is revealed. Every sentient being contains this seed, but like clouds that hide the sun, our luminous mind is hidden by our habitual patterns of thought and action. Yet nothing we do can tarnish it; it is there waiting for us to open to its infinite clarity, compassion and wisdom. Recognizing our patterns is the beginning to finding our inner sun. Bamboo has been admired in China for its many uses, including for paint brushes and pens. Thus it is connected with writing, learning and scholarship. It points to the need for instruction in waking up, as we often are so good at hiding even from ourselves what hinders us. How often have you read a book and suddenly been gobsmacked by a statement, realizing, "Yes, that describes me"?

At its most practical, our Buddha-nature affords us the potential to grow, evolve, and embody our genuine goodness. When we understand, and eventually through meditation experience this as our essential nature, there is less room for getting sidetracked by our unexamined destructive emotions and thoughts, and more room for living compassionately from within an interconnected whole.

—Scott Tusa

Snap Judgments

From the Roots of Asia Tarot, the Three of Wands; from the Mah Jongg Oracle, Tiger:

We only need 10 percent of stimulation from the outside world. It is our brain that experiences, figures out, anticipates, and projects what might happen, that leads to our experience. —Guo Gu

          The Three of Wands implies that we have taken our creative inspiration further, expanding beyond the status quo into something new. But the instruction booklet encourages us to be fully conscious of our experience rather than taking a glimpse and automatically filing it into a preset slot. The card's three lotus blooms show one in the bud stage, one beginning to open, and one fully open. It may appear that the center one is the 'best' at first glance. But we may not be fully conscious of all that is involved. The Tiger of Mah Jongg symbolizes authority. In this case for example, someone with more knowledge (even a book!) might help us realize that these are different types of lotuses that bloom at different times. 

The next time you make a snap judgment about a situation, take a few moments to understand an opposing viewpoint. —David J. Lieberman

 

Broken Glass

This week I'll be using the Roots of Asia Tarot, created by Amnart Klanprachar with Thaworn Boonyawan and published by AGM Müller. I'll also be using the Mah Jongg Oracle, created by Derek Walters and published by Thunder Bay Press. Today's cards are the Three of Swords and Carp:

          Where there was once a head and trunk, now there is only a pierced heart in this painting. When we have been betrayed or hurt, our world can begin to rotate around our pain. The booklet suggests this card is about coping with sorrow caused by the loss of something in which we were emotionally invested. We desperately crave for things to be different, to go back to the way they were when we were happy. But the more we funnel our thoughts in this direction, the worse it gets. It's as if we accidentally step on broken glass in bare feet, then continue walking back and forth across the sharp pieces. The Carp symbolizes inner calm and contentment, a time when troubles might not be over, but we have come to terms with the situation. How do we move from a place of suffering to acceptance? As Bodhipaksa writes, we focus on self-care rather than the mental story we've constructed about the situation. 

Once we’ve practiced by turning toward our pain and offering it care, we often find that things shift radically. The sacred pause of mindful compassion becomes a conduit for wisdom and other inner resources that we sometimes aren’t aware we had. 

—Bodhipaksa

Entrenchment

From the New Liminal Tarot, the Ace of Wands; from the Inward Oracle, Kapha:

          A salamander waits and watches from a rooted wand topped with a golden orb as flames lick up around it. The salamander's association with fire came from long ago; when wood from a stack was placed on a fire and salamanders (who were using the wood to hide in) scurried out, people thought they were born from fire. In Pen's illustration, I can almost see little salamander shapes appearing in the flames. No matter how inspired we get to create or change something, nothing happens until we feed that fire with action. Kapha is a dosha in Ayurveda. A dosha is a combination of elements (with one primary) believed to be responsible for a person's physiological, mental, and emotional health. Kapha is mostly earth with water being secondary. When in balance, Kapha people are strong, steady, patient and loving. When out of balance, they are stubborn and resistant to change. The roots on the salamander's wand suggest something has become too entrenched. What needs to be burned up in order for a new phase to begin and make progress? As John M. Keynes said, "The difficulty lies, not in the new ideas, but in escaping from the old ones."

May Require Some Thought

From the New Liminal Tarot, the Ten of Wands; from the Inward Oracle, Closure:

          A man walks barefoot over hot coals carrying a heavy load while attempting to get to the burning tower in the distance. This card reminds me of the 9/11 First Responders as well as the EMTs, nurses and doctors dealing with the ongoing pandemic. In such cases, the motive to save a life can push us beyond exhaustion and hunger (and I bow with gratitude to all of these folks). Yet there are other times when we pick up the heavy load of others, taking on their obligations that should be their responsibility. This makes as much sense as trying to carry all the luggage we find at the airport carousel, even if the tags don't have our name on them. But do we have the right to take away the challenges of others that can help them learn to be responsible and accountable for themselves? The Closure card shows a seated twist, a pose said to energize the spine and improve posture. The booklet journal prompt asks: "What are you holding onto that is weighing you down? What would it feel like to put it down?" Stand up straight, take a deep breath, and just say 'No more.'

The oldest, shortest words— "yes" and "no"— are those which require the most thought.

― Pythagoras