“And may mind, wearied and weakened
In this fictitious being so full of karmic actions and
emotions, today find comfort and ease.”
“Kindly Bent to Ease Us”, Longchenpa, Dharma Publishing, 1975, Page 71.
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference”. – The Serenity Prayer
“If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Thumper.
My sister shared a link devoted to a vision of poetry as the finding of our own natural center in words of heartfelt praise:
https://www.recoveringwords.com/site/singing-dark-times-3-series-poets-praise#respond.
And I realized that the post I was working on, “And Then They Came for Me” (prompted by the news that people with “Green Cards” are no longer being welcomed in the U.S), was fueled by judgmental anxiety.
(I have been living in this country since the late ‘70’s on a green card, and I felt the winds of xenophobia blowing in my own face for a brief moment. When your life has been lived in another country than the land of your birth (in my case, Canada) and you have children, friends and extended family here, as well as decades of investment in the people and needs of your adopted home, it is not a simple matter to retrace the steps that brought you here as a young person.)
I’ve been rereading a book—a poetic work in praise of the deep stratum of meaningfulness that is always and forever as close as our heartbeat—written in the 1300’s by Tibet’s most revered teacher, Longchenpa.
“While we cannot point out beauty or Being, we can point to it and this pointing may help people to experience for themselves this something greater.” –“Kindly Bent to Ease Us”, Page 4.
This 800 year-old book expresses a rejuvenating way of looking at a world where we can get leaders who frighten us. It provides another way of grappling with the frustrations of life, in which, together and individually, we often seem condemned to watch helplessly as the caring and goodness of people gets swept away by casually-conceived fiats and a towering indifference to the well-being of others.
But instead of obsessing over the antics of the weasels who have taken over Toad Hall, we can appreciate the shining wholeness that makes everything possible: a wholeness that is always leaning towards us, ready for us to hearken to what is being offered. All we have to do is, with sincere thankfulness, dive into the flow of energy and understanding that are our birthright.
Let’s not forget that we have been born with the capacity to hear the wind in the trees each day that we find ourselves awakening, one more time.
We live in a time when deep wisdom and kindness—hard to find across the eons of time–have been preserved for us by earlier generations, at great cost.
“In the same way as a destitute person having found a precious jewel
Is afraid and apprehensive that it is but a dream,
You should joyfully and longingly think about this unique occasion and right juncture,
Whereby true prosperity and bliss here and hereafter are attained.” “Kindly Bent to Ease Us”, Page 12.
Thanks so, I weep with shudders of joy when read the words of Longchenpa.
Amen brothers…!
Weasel…that’s a good name for that one in the White House. Such fear that weasel has put in the lives of all immigrants here, and green card holders…I recently got a speeding ticket–not my first–and I think how I get to stay here anyway. A person not legally in this country would be considered a criminal and removed. My daughter has talked of applying for dual citizenship with Canada (my Quebec-born mother was green card holder) and maybe moving there if the weasel continues with his hateful agenda …oh well, excuse my ramblings.
It occurred to me that our weasel in Toad Hall doesn’t seem to have any friends. It seems so important to admire someone–a teacher, a courageous being who risked all on behalf of others, or just someone we remember with affection and gratitude. I don’t sense that”The Donald” has that kind of relationship with anyone, and consequently his actions are not guided by an aspiration to live up to some shining example of what a human being can be.