just be it It’s about the work involved in establishing a dedicated practice to feelings of a bigger belonging through practices aimed at increasing feelings of compassion, gratitude and forgiveness

Cultivating Sensitivity and Humility to the Vast Mystery

Published on 22/11/15
by randy

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We’re continually seeking answers to this precious gift we call life. Where did we come from, who are we, how did we get here, where are we going, what are we here for, etc.? There’s a great freedom that comes when we open to deeper inquiry, humbled to the sensing we’ll never be ‘right’ in answering these questions from a dichotomous perspective of right vs. wrong. Yet, when we do hold stillness beyond the discursive mind, allowing the body/mind/spirit to receive a centered posture, we deepen our sense of gratitude, compassion and forgiveness. Somehow, we loosen the grips of greed, fear, anger and ignorance to our interconnection with the mystery. Our ego’s desire to have others think like we do diminishes. We can move from wanting others to ‘join’ our religion, political party, etc., to experiencing one another as already belonging to the planetary party. The communicative skills of persuasion diminish and skills of dialog, collaboration and listening strengthen. Letting go our ‘fixed’ notions is much like watching water freeze this time of year. If we keep moving as the water moves by wind affected action or current, we don’t seize up in sub-freezing conditions. Similarly, if we can hold an openness to difficult circumstance, seeking to understand with a flexible mind that’s sensitive to the vast mystery, we keep from seizing up. It’s why the number one lesson for any conflict resolution is to deeply put ourselves in the shoes of the perceived enemy. When we hold to our notions of having the ‘right religion’, ‘right politic’, ‘right constitution’, ‘right team’, etc., we can no longer deepen our sensitivity and humility to the openness that allows ‘maybe, maybe not’, to the vastness of the divine Mystery.

In the wake of increasing challenges to accepting the diversity and rapid changes of our planet, I find it helpful to return to a poem downloaded on 9/11 to the open, flexible mind of an eleven year old child facing the impermanence of his body with a life threatening disease. Mattie Stepanek will always be remembered by me as one of our great spiritual teachers:

For Our World
We need to stop.Just stop.Stop for a moment.Before anybody says or does anything that may hurt anyone else.

We need to be silent.Just silent.Silent for a moment.Before we forever lose the blessing of songs that grow in our hearts.

We need to notice.Just notice.Notice for a moment.Before the future slips away into ashes and dust of humility.

Stop, be silent, and notice.In so many ways, we are the same.Our differences are unique treasures we have.

We are, a mosaic of gifts to nurture, to offer, to accept.

We need to be.Just be.Be for a moment.Kind and gentle, innocent and trusting like children and lambs,never judging or vengeful like the judging and vengeful.

And now, let us pray,differently, yet together,before there is no earth, no life,no chance for peace.

September 11, 2001

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