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| Seven Days to go... |
So, friends, I welcome you back with open arms! You all made it, how wonderful! We find ourselves now at the half-way point in our festive countdown to Christmas Day, half way through our exploration of personal growth; ways of feeling more connected, ways of becoming less stressed, less frustrated, and far less prone to festive meltdown. Instead of feeling overstretched and overwhelmed, we can use the unique opportunity this time of year provides, being as it is a time of reflection, family and generosity, to feel more whole again, more authentic. We are half way through looking at how real changes to our lives can be facilitated by the symbolism found within the Mandala of the Five Buddhas, and how they are related to the Five Stages of Spiritual Development, a teaching expounded by "The English Monk" Sangharakshita, renowned Buddhist author and thinker of the last 70 years and founder of Triratna (formerly known as The Western Buddhist Movement). Hence the many quotes. Last time we were looking at The Ghost of Christmas Past as a metaphor for the primary stage of Integration, and observing that the precursor to this is bringing more Awareness or Mindfulness into our lives, expressed so beautifully in the silent, imperturbable figure of Akshobya. However, before we move on to the second stage of development and the beckoning glow of Ratnasmbhava limitless generosity and wisdom (I know, I can't wait either), it is worth remembering two cardinal points. Firstly, the inherent dangers of unintegrated positivity, and secondly, the question of discerning between positivity, and pleasure.
Initially then, we must be clear that integration does not simply happen on one level or at one stage alone, but rather that the other stages are born out of it, in dependance upon it. Therefore is must be, to as great an extent possible, a constant effort. If we cease at least trying to stay mindful of our mood-swings and our little grumbles, we risk feeling glum or snapping at other shoppers, colleagues or loved ones. If we start letting the all the Yuletide plans and logistics overwhelm us (all the presents, all the food to buy etc), then there could be some panic buying for you on Christmas Eve, and no-one needs that in their lives, right? If we allow ourselves to back-slide too much into a state of disintegration (both mental, physical and chemical), into the often headless abandon that marks the high point of this holiday for so many people (and boy, do I have a lot of experience in that field), then at the very least our positivity becomes superficial, our chirpiness is seen as insincere.
Initially then, we must be clear that integration does not simply happen on one level or at one stage alone, but rather that the other stages are born out of it, in dependance upon it. Therefore is must be, to as great an extent possible, a constant effort. If we cease at least trying to stay mindful of our mood-swings and our little grumbles, we risk feeling glum or snapping at other shoppers, colleagues or loved ones. If we start letting the all the Yuletide plans and logistics overwhelm us (all the presents, all the food to buy etc), then there could be some panic buying for you on Christmas Eve, and no-one needs that in their lives, right? If we allow ourselves to back-slide too much into a state of disintegration (both mental, physical and chemical), into the often headless abandon that marks the high point of this holiday for so many people (and boy, do I have a lot of experience in that field), then at the very least our positivity becomes superficial, our chirpiness is seen as insincere.
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This type of unsubstantiated, unintegrated happiness is generally unhelpful in life, unskillful and likely to do more harm than good, especially with the addition of alcohol, so we must be very clear in our minds what we mean when we talk about 'emotional positivity'. You may find your new found festive 'joi de vivre' extremely gratifying, but be aware of festive times and places which might require a pinch more awareness than others e.g. outside my bedroom window at 3:35am, for want of a more recent or memorable example. Drunken antisocial behaviour notwithstanding, when we put on a fake smile, people can see we don't really mean it, that we are experiencing inner conflict, and that we aren't as happy as we insist. When this headspace is rented by alcohol, the results can be lively, terminally morose or possibly involve vast amounts of detergent and a grovelling apology to the owner of the wardrobe. Occasionally they might result in reparations for broken furniture or hearts. Various Christmas parties are recalled by association. As I said, I used to really struggle at Christmas, and I'm sure I'm not alone. The other problem with unintegrated positivity is that subconsciously, when people start to feel like we are holding things back, that we can't trust them enough to open up to them, on some level they feel that we are dishonest. We can find ourselves saying 'yes' to social engagements and other commitments simply out of an insecure desire to please. We end up making promises we can't keep, letting people down over Christmas drinks or meals, craving the neurotic affirmation of making people laugh or like us. We can become approval junkies, especially when it comes to the giving of presents or social networking. No matter how many likes that "Shih-Tzu in the snow" video we shared gets on Facebook, we can struggle to feel genuinely connected to, loved by or appreciation from others, even when it is so. It's very, very sad, and not unlike Mr. Scrooge, I have definitely been guilty of shutting down emotionally for prolonged periods at times of emotional, festive or moral crisis, or a blend of the three. I'm speaking both theoretically and from the experiences of myself and friends, truth be told, and if none of this applies to you, then wonderful! That in itself it something to feel positive about, and I hope you don't mind me sharing a few personal pitfalls in case anyone else had experienced similar things.
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| I can understand why this may be disconcerting during working hours, and a source of cruel humour for some people... For instant tears, just add alcohol... |
As we have established then, integration can't be faked. It can't be forced, can't be co-erced. Psychological and emotional integration is a product, the direct result of other conditions both internal and external, and it's those conditions we need to concern ourselves with, our volitional or intentional actions (Karma). Much as a gardener must be aware of soil pH levels, the amount of sunlight and water each plant needs, so too should we concern ourselves with slowly bringing intentional awareness, uniformity, direction and common purpose to all aspects of our lives, even if that purpose is simply to become more kind and generous, rather than simply trying to 'be more integrated'. Integration and personal/spiritual development (I fail to see how they are different at this stage) is similar to a rose, or better still a lotus - when we try to focus on the effect (Vipāka), we can loose sight of the conditioned aspect of it (Karma). We can't just will it into blooming! We can only put supportive conditions in place and be patient. If we force sepals open and prize apart petals then we simply end up with crumpled, broken, discoloured petals, no scent and no seed, and the flower dies with its potential unfulfilled. To echo a wonderful analogy by Subhuti (another renowned teacher in the Triratna tradition), a shepherd and his sheepdog try to group all their various sheep together, and get them moving in the same direction a once. It's not as if the shepherd is trying to create one giant, singular sheep out of all the other sheep as they run about in all differing directions. That would be simply terrifying! Nor is he trying to make all the sheep identical and non-descript; a sort of grey, lifeless, colourless uniformity. No, we must use the shepherd of our conscious mind and the sheep dog of our ethical sensibilities to get all the differing sheep together, moving in the same direction. Needless to say, the sheep representing our divergent selves, our differing interests and desires, the pulls and tugs on life in every direction both without and within. Awareness leads to integration, which frees up energy, resulting in zest. When we have that zesty sparkle, everyday life seems to require less effort and endurance - and this can free up the mind, make it more receptive to flashes wisdom or insight, which will then further feed into your ongoing integration etc. That is a fairly succinct summery of the path thus far.
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| "Tune in" with yourself regularly throughout the day to ensure that you spot mood fluctuations before they manifest as thoughts. Watch your thoughts because they determine your intentions. Watch your intentions for they become words. Watch your words because they become actions, which become your habits. Watch your habits because they become your character. Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny... |
If we are currently trying to become a more 'whole' individual, a more effective bundle of energies and drives, a simple, regular honest appraisal, or "tuning in" to our current experience will tell us how we are really feeling, and thus point us promptly in the direction of the correct drawer in the emotional and spiritual medicine cupboard. As I ask myself how I'm feeling this second, I become aware that my shoulders are hunched. I relax them. I'm physically tired after nearly a solid week of writing, often late into the night, dealing with varying degrees of back pain, an ongoing condition. Notwithstanding, I also feel alert, my senses sharpened to the contrast of things, both within and without. I feel uplifted by something, a lightness of spirit, yet more concentrated. It feels almost as if something is guiding my words. My dreams are more vivid too, and although in pain when I wake, I feel better rested, mentally. Perhaps these are manifestations of the mind as the very process of considering and reflecting on such topics works its way through me on a deeper, subconscious level? Integration, as one of our Manchester Order Members, Dayanandi once said, "is about healing ourselves into Wholeness, through Awareness", making us feel 'more like ourselves' once more. As we become more integrated, more whole, more substantial, we feel happier. On a psychological level, becoming more integrated mean that quite literally there is more of 'us' to give. There's a spring in our step, and we spontaneously start relating to the world more positively. Little things bother us less, and the sense of feeling in control of our lives is returning. We seem to glow a bit, and maybe people pay us compliments. When we feel this way, we want to share it because we appreciate connecting with others more. This desire to manifest kindness can be cultivated easily and readily by beginners and pros alike through practices like the 'Metta Bhavana' into a sincere, deep-rooted desire to see other people, and eventually all beings genuinely well and happy. THAT'S how we face ourselves in the mirror every day. We better ourselves, and by natural causality we influence and better the lives of others too. We can't help but influence people one way or the other, so it might as well be for the better, right? We want to give something back to those nearest to us.
So we now come onto an important second point; how do we discern the difference between unintegrated, superficial happiness and genuinely Positive Emotion, as the second stage is known? More accurately, what is a "positive emotion"? For whom is it positive? Can we define 'positive'? For that matter, how do we define an 'emotion'? Is it something we feel, something we act upon, a volition? Sometimes the feelings and experiences can be fairly subtle, the relaxed openness of a train or bus journey just watching the world zips by, and at others we can be stuck by bolts of realisation and inspiration (vajras, perhaps?), suddenly smashing through previous limiting preconceptions, fetters or chains. Sometimes though in life, we can feel out of and control, exuberant, laughing out loud at the daftest of things, and sometimes at nothing in particular. Often associated with youth, and occasionally with the use of "assistance", at times in life we can feel pretty giddy and lighthearted, starting a new relationship for example, but is it all 'positive' or is it just pleasure we are experiencing? Is it changing you and others? 'Positive Action" would be a better definition, a more useful yardstick to judge our drives and actions by, and further to that, we could perhaps say that the best expression of this stage, the most helpfully understanding would be as 'Skilful Action'. As a reminder, something skilful is that which will benefit you AND others. Something unskilful would be something that doesn't benefit one of the party. We mustn't fall into the trap of assuming that skilful things are pleasurable, and unskilful things are hurtful or painful. Sometimes that shame that comes with some home truths about ourselves can be painful but skilful, as they inspire us to become better people. That sting can be put to good use to motivate us to change. Equally, some very pleasurable experiences can be highly unskilful or destructive, such as sleeping with another person's spouse, or taking crystal meth. Hence the best way to tell if our motivations and drives are becoming more integrated is by looking at how skilful our choices are. Embodying kindness, generosity, honesty, sexual integrity, and mindfulness is much more useful to the world and preferable to simply not hurting people, not stealing their time, energy and resources, and being truthful all the time. Living 'the good life' as it used to be called is not merely an avoidance of negative tendencies or a resolution of inner conflict, but the cultivation of more positive, emotionally edifying, helpful states. By definition, when we become more relaxed and open, we automatically become less stressed and anxious. Again, we can't just 'be less stressed', we must be prepared to make the effort to calm down first, relax and assess the situation honesty.
For me, I can't stop people jumping on the train without paying, but I can always refrain from judging them and be honest to the conductor when he asks how far I'm intending to travel. I can try and shop at Tescos less because I believe that they have (even by the most generous appraisal) a highly unethical and aggressive expansionist policy and undercut local farmers, ruining their trade prices and forcing smaller (and by that, you might as well read 'family') operations into bankruptcy It is our job to make sure that when we interact with the world, we are aware of how the choices we make are ethical one's, and how they innate potential to affect others. This discernment between skilful and unskilful acts of body, speech and mind is called, in traditional buddhist terminology, 'Dhamma-Vicaya' in Pali - the discrimination or categorisation of our volitions and desires as either skilful or unskilful. For this reason, if 'skilful action' is too abstract a concept to work with in the social and ethical spheres, how about thinking of it as constructive action, or positive engagement?
Interestingly, in traditional Buddhist terminology there is no direct translation for 'emotions' either. We have 'vedana', a Pali term which means an awareness of an experience or sensation as either pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. 'Emotion' is described as a highly complex phenomenon involving lots of concomitant mental factors. That being said, in western vernacular the word 'emotion' is not entirely without merit, as the word is suggestive of motion, of movement, of action, of energy. It is that which moves us to step up to the plate based upon an active recognition of one's desires and fears, dreams and sorrows in others. We feel at one with other people, equal in our shared humanity. We are literally moved to respond to "the grace by which we live our lives with death over our shoulders", as Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam recently and most movingly sang. How could we not? The more we dwell on this and try and understand it, try and embrace this altruistic motivation, the more inspired we can become. Conversely, the more inspired we are, the more aware we are as to how to take better care of and for ourselves, to nurture ourselves physically (sleep, diet etc) and emotionally, the more likely we are to be able to transcend and grow beyond the limitations of our current ways of being and thinking. As I said, these models are only provisionally linear.
What then is the result of this integrated positivity? We experience pleasant mental states as a natural result of becoming a more integrated, ethically sensitive, energetic, happy person, and the most natural way to express this newly-found emotional imperturbability is to act kindly and generously. Believe it or not, our ethical behaviour (how kind, honest, giving and considerate we are) has a massive impact on our conscience and our sense of inner well-being. I'm not being sarcastic either, most people have no idea, I swear! When we are acting skilfully, when we can clearly see the benefit of showing Metta towards ourselves and others we respond openly according to our collective needs, and our self esteem goes up. When we can see the needs and suffering of others as just as important and valid as our own and we respond accordingly, then we could be said to be truly engaging in 'Skilful Action'. The fact that we are making the effort to read his article, to follow up our hearts desire to better ourselves, acknowledge our spiritual passions and inspirations, that is to be celebrated in itself! THAT is an example of skilful action, a REALLY 'positive' thing. It's vital in fact - it shows self-metta, a thawing of relations between you and your dispirit selves. We develop a warm friendliness, equanimity, as well as faith and confidence in ourselves. A non-egotistical, modest self-regard emerges in us, and this all based on knowing that we are living an ethically aware and increasingly integrated life of kindness, generosity, patience etc. Starting to live more this way refines our emotional responses to the everyday world, and this new receptivity can be very pleasant indeed - we become receptive to spiritual beauty, alive to it. We start to see how interconnected we all are, and subsequently we develop confidence that we are doing the right thing, a deepening conviction that our actions in the present, our choices right now will have a direct bearing on us and others in the future, for better or worse. This is what Buddhists mean when we speak of 'faith' or 'shradhā' - it is a deepening conviction that we can change, grow and blossom in dependance on how we treat ourselves and others.
So, back to our primary question of how best to continually integrate as we develope positive emotion. How do we stop ourselves from giving too much? How do we ensure that we don't run out of spiritual gas? This path is a path of regular steps, and we need to bring to the table a sympathetic, compassionate understanding of ourselves, metta-full mindfulness and mindful metta, being as they are differing ends of the same stick, and inter-penetrating.
Developing a regular meditation practice makes staying keeping calm, kind and true to yourself so much easier. Principally, what is called the 'Mindfulness of Breathing' meditation is perfect for grounding ourselves, observing unhealthy, irritating, generally unskillful mental states and later counteracting them, stilling our disparate energies, integrating them, slowly giving all your differing traits a common interest or belief. That which you chose to believe in is your own choice. For me, for a long time it was music, and now it's simply trying to be less of a tool and more useful, to sum up my approach to the spiritual life, in my case, the Path of the Dharma. The 'Mindfulness of Breathing' can be entered via the heart just as much as the Metta Bhavana, the conscious development of positive or skilful mental states, can be entered through emotional awareness. For anyone interested here is the link to many fantastic, step by step introductory tutorials on these essential practices, as well as talks and free books on a wide range of topics - I urge you to check out www.freebuddhistaudio.com - so much of my life spent on there, inspirational stuff. It might just change your life...
For me, I can't stop people jumping on the train without paying, but I can always refrain from judging them and be honest to the conductor when he asks how far I'm intending to travel. I can try and shop at Tescos less because I believe that they have (even by the most generous appraisal) a highly unethical and aggressive expansionist policy and undercut local farmers, ruining their trade prices and forcing smaller (and by that, you might as well read 'family') operations into bankruptcy It is our job to make sure that when we interact with the world, we are aware of how the choices we make are ethical one's, and how they innate potential to affect others. This discernment between skilful and unskilful acts of body, speech and mind is called, in traditional buddhist terminology, 'Dhamma-Vicaya' in Pali - the discrimination or categorisation of our volitions and desires as either skilful or unskilful. For this reason, if 'skilful action' is too abstract a concept to work with in the social and ethical spheres, how about thinking of it as constructive action, or positive engagement?
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| In the UK, there is a growing movement to try and boycott Tesco stores. There is a strong argument that says by shopping at Tesco, you are condoning their aggressive undermining of the local economies. Get informed. Make a choice. What is the true, wider impact of my ethical choices? |
Interestingly, in traditional Buddhist terminology there is no direct translation for 'emotions' either. We have 'vedana', a Pali term which means an awareness of an experience or sensation as either pleasant, unpleasant or neutral. 'Emotion' is described as a highly complex phenomenon involving lots of concomitant mental factors. That being said, in western vernacular the word 'emotion' is not entirely without merit, as the word is suggestive of motion, of movement, of action, of energy. It is that which moves us to step up to the plate based upon an active recognition of one's desires and fears, dreams and sorrows in others. We feel at one with other people, equal in our shared humanity. We are literally moved to respond to "the grace by which we live our lives with death over our shoulders", as Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam recently and most movingly sang. How could we not? The more we dwell on this and try and understand it, try and embrace this altruistic motivation, the more inspired we can become. Conversely, the more inspired we are, the more aware we are as to how to take better care of and for ourselves, to nurture ourselves physically (sleep, diet etc) and emotionally, the more likely we are to be able to transcend and grow beyond the limitations of our current ways of being and thinking. As I said, these models are only provisionally linear.
What then is the result of this integrated positivity? We experience pleasant mental states as a natural result of becoming a more integrated, ethically sensitive, energetic, happy person, and the most natural way to express this newly-found emotional imperturbability is to act kindly and generously. Believe it or not, our ethical behaviour (how kind, honest, giving and considerate we are) has a massive impact on our conscience and our sense of inner well-being. I'm not being sarcastic either, most people have no idea, I swear! When we are acting skilfully, when we can clearly see the benefit of showing Metta towards ourselves and others we respond openly according to our collective needs, and our self esteem goes up. When we can see the needs and suffering of others as just as important and valid as our own and we respond accordingly, then we could be said to be truly engaging in 'Skilful Action'. The fact that we are making the effort to read his article, to follow up our hearts desire to better ourselves, acknowledge our spiritual passions and inspirations, that is to be celebrated in itself! THAT is an example of skilful action, a REALLY 'positive' thing. It's vital in fact - it shows self-metta, a thawing of relations between you and your dispirit selves. We develop a warm friendliness, equanimity, as well as faith and confidence in ourselves. A non-egotistical, modest self-regard emerges in us, and this all based on knowing that we are living an ethically aware and increasingly integrated life of kindness, generosity, patience etc. Starting to live more this way refines our emotional responses to the everyday world, and this new receptivity can be very pleasant indeed - we become receptive to spiritual beauty, alive to it. We start to see how interconnected we all are, and subsequently we develop confidence that we are doing the right thing, a deepening conviction that our actions in the present, our choices right now will have a direct bearing on us and others in the future, for better or worse. This is what Buddhists mean when we speak of 'faith' or 'shradhā' - it is a deepening conviction that we can change, grow and blossom in dependance on how we treat ourselves and others.
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| We are often so busy trying to appropriate the sensually desirable, we neglect to discern between chasing 'pleasure' and enjoying a more engaging, lasting happiness. |
So, back to our primary question of how best to continually integrate as we develope positive emotion. How do we stop ourselves from giving too much? How do we ensure that we don't run out of spiritual gas? This path is a path of regular steps, and we need to bring to the table a sympathetic, compassionate understanding of ourselves, metta-full mindfulness and mindful metta, being as they are differing ends of the same stick, and inter-penetrating.
Developing a regular meditation practice makes staying keeping calm, kind and true to yourself so much easier. Principally, what is called the 'Mindfulness of Breathing' meditation is perfect for grounding ourselves, observing unhealthy, irritating, generally unskillful mental states and later counteracting them, stilling our disparate energies, integrating them, slowly giving all your differing traits a common interest or belief. That which you chose to believe in is your own choice. For me, for a long time it was music, and now it's simply trying to be less of a tool and more useful, to sum up my approach to the spiritual life, in my case, the Path of the Dharma. The 'Mindfulness of Breathing' can be entered via the heart just as much as the Metta Bhavana, the conscious development of positive or skilful mental states, can be entered through emotional awareness. For anyone interested here is the link to many fantastic, step by step introductory tutorials on these essential practices, as well as talks and free books on a wide range of topics - I urge you to check out www.freebuddhistaudio.com - so much of my life spent on there, inspirational stuff. It might just change your life...
In general, emotional positivity stems from the satisfaction of confidently investigating our present mental states, being in touch with ourselves and subsequently bringing an analytical quality to our lives with regards to our ethical and social responsibilities. Confession of our small vagrancies and transgressions to spiritually inclined friends or the wronged party can be a very positive experience in this regard; not just because of the relief of atonement, of being open and honest, but also in the fuller sense of examining why something happened, owing up to ones slips and lapses of judgement, and making a firm resolution not to do it again. We need to find an emotional equivalent to our intellectual understanding. Integration is the ongoing process of resolving conflict between two or more previously conflicting or even sometimes diametrically opposed impetus. On a very basic level, we all want money to spend, but we resent having to get up in the morning (or evening) to go and earn it. On a more subtle and insidious level, we can desire and crave the intimacy of a meaningful long term relationship, but also simltaniously have the desire to be emotionally unattached, fancy-free and as "adventurous" as we like. Maybe in the morning we love the feeling of a good night's rest, but come sundown we crave the hustle and bustle, thrills and spills of a late nights partying. Whatever our inner conflicts and differing drives were/are, before any integration they clashed and cancelled each other out. Previously our precious mental and physical energy was wasted, or at the very least less effectual, but now, in the increasing absence of conflict, energy is released, surging forth forth and our 'vedana' (immediate sensation) is likely to be one of contentment, pleasure, equanimity and inner peace, which due to the law of actions having consequences (or Karma-Vipāka), now serves to reinforce our new positive outlook. We become less neurotically obsessed with the world of sensual pleasure and appropriation (that's Xbox's, chocolate, sex, booze, clothes, money, status etc) and more interested in and receptive to the higher beauties of love, friendship and art. Even the mundane can develop a healthy glow of something special, and every day is truly a gift. It is a more refined (some might say 'noble') state of aesthetic appreciation of life, an extremely gratifying abode due to the lack of grasping and simple enjoyment for things as they truly are. The most skilful mental states in which we can dwell, traditionally and collectively known as the 'Brahma-Viharas' or 'Sublime Abodes', are:
Metta - "Loving-Kindness"
Karuna - Compassion
Mudita - "Sympathetic Joy"
Upeksha - Equanimity
When we feel positive like this, when we feel delight, we spontaneously want to give, and eventually give to more and more people, even if it is just a smile. In this frame of mind, we can turn to the inspirational golden-yellow figure of the benevolent Ratnasambhava.
Metta - "Loving-Kindness"
Karuna - Compassion
Mudita - "Sympathetic Joy"
Upeksha - Equanimity
When we feel positive like this, when we feel delight, we spontaneously want to give, and eventually give to more and more people, even if it is just a smile. In this frame of mind, we can turn to the inspirational golden-yellow figure of the benevolent Ratnasambhava.
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| Ratnasambhava - "The Jewel-Creating One". His wisdom, the wisdom of Equality is the perfect antidote to the poison of conceit, and his open palmed generosity reminds us that if we are to give, we should try and give spontaneously. in recognition of our shared humanity. Integration - Energy - Zest - Effort. Go for it! |
Ratnasambhava is the golden yellow Buddha of the Mandala who's name translates as "the Jewel-Producing One", jewels here representing the aesthetic beauty, the deeper richness and sublime abundance of the Enlightened mind. In the Buddhist tradition, jewels are analogous to that which is most precious in the world, and Ratnasambhava is the embodiment of Generosity. While Akshobya's symbol was the formidable vajra, his is the Wish-fulfilling Jewel, the "Cintamani" of Eastern iconography and legend. Scholars believe that this is the origins of the Arabian "magic lamp" of Aladin's fame and the inference is that the Enlightened mind is like this, granting us our deepest-fest wishes for aesthetic beauty and spiritual treasures beyond measure. Yellow is the colour of nature and of the earth in the East, and is associated of course with gold, a substance which never decreases in value. In fact, much as gold and other precious jewels are harvested deep below the surface of the earth, so the treasures of a spiritually sensitive life will be formed in the depths of our subconscious, under the skilful but persistent pressure of our own efforts, and will be brought to the surface of our conscious minds and hearts. There refined to shine for the benefit of all beings equally, it makes sense therefore that Ratnasambhava's mudra (symbolic hand gestures in Buddhism and Hinduism) is the open palmed "varada mudra" (or "gesture of supreme giving"), an omnidirectional desire to bestow beings with the most precious, the most important things in life. Jewels being timeless and incomparably valuable suggests gifts of spiritual importance, rather than simply mundane, profane or material gifts. Aesthetic beauty takes us outside of ourselves from the world of sensual beauty to a higher, more refined awareness of artistic or spiritual beauty, a realm of appreciation, rather than appropriation. Just like the Spirit of Christmas Present, Rantasambhava appreciates all beings and phenomena equally, for whatever they truly are or represent on a higher level. In everyday life, granted, we can give the material as the material, or we can try and give material gifts as manifestation of higher truths and aspiration. There is a world of difference; if a friend is short of money for food or rent, then listening to their problems, offering love and support and giving £10 (if it is all we can spare) out of a desire to lessen their suffering is far more preferable than a 'friend' who simply sends £100 out of guilt, or not wanting to be seen as tight-fisted. Once again, it's all about discerning what our motivations might behind our actions. Ironically though, although without rudimentary discernment we cannot go far in the spiritual life, Ratnasambhava is the Jinna, the wisdom of sameness or non-discernment. He is the manifestation of the all-bestowing aspect of Enlightenment which does not discriminate. In giving such great treasures to each being equally, he comes to represent the wisdom of Equality, the wisdom of sameness that sees all beings in the universe as equal in both the the heart and eyes of the Enlightened mind. To better understand equality in this context, we can heed the wisdom of the 8th-century Indian Buddhist scholar, Shantideva:
"Strive at first to meditate upon
The sameness of yourself and others.
In joy and sorrow, all are equal.
Thus be the guardian of all, as of yourself.
The hand and other limbs are many and distinct,
But all are [part of] one - one body to be kept and guarded.
Likewise, different beings in their joys and sorrows
Are, like me, all one in wanting happiness.
My pain does not afflict
Or cause discomfort to another's body.
Through clinging to my 'I'', this suffering is mine,
And being mine, is very hard to bear.
Other beings' pain
I do not feel, and yet
Because I guard them as my own
Their suffering is likewise hard to bear.
Therefore I'll dispel the pain of others
For it is simply pain, just like my own,
And others I will aid and benefit,
for they are living beings, just like me"
This beautifully illustrates the Bodisattva way, and is in fact taken from Shantideva's epic masterpiece, "A Guide to The Boddhisattva Way". What he is suggesting here is that as all beings want happiness and desire to avoid suffering, what difference does it make whether the happiness or pain is ours or that of another? In that sense, as well as in the sense that we are all subject to old age, illness and death, we are all in it together, as I have said on may occasions before. In becoming more wise to the true nature of things, we need to be mindful of any pride and conceit that may arise, any notion of self-gain; these are the potential poisons of becoming more aware of 'I'. Leading to vain obsession about our own journey and about the story we tell ourself, we can cultivate this wisdom of oneness to generate an equality between self and others, and turn our gaze, like our palm outwards to counter this tendency. Just as Akshobya's pairing with the elephant conjures up associations of immovability and objective awareness, the associated animal of Ratnasambhava is the horse, symbolic of energy, of vitality and passion, and suggests that we have to harness and tame all our energies and if we are to generate enough motivation to keep growing, keep making progress towards becoming kinder to ourselves, more helpful in the world. In effect, the development of the individual, the raising and ever-expanding of our levels of consciousness wont ever stop, even beyond Enlightenment itself. Thus Ratnasambha can be seen as the embodiment and personification, to the nth degree, of generosity, of the wisdom of Equality, and of the appreciation for the aesthetic beauty of the "wish-fulfilling Jewel" that resides in all out hearts. Through reflection on the boundless generosity of Ratnasambhava and his unbiased compassion to all beings in the face of their transience, we can find daily delight in our engagements with others, and in that way, we can be said to be embodying the true Spirit of Christmas Present.
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| The kindness, compassion and generosity of the Spirit should be a daily reminder to us how skilful engagement with others should be natural, uplifting and how best to get into the 'spirit' of everyday life - with honesty, openness and a twinkle in our eyes. And in a large green robe (not included). |
Herein we meet this illustrious giant, figure robed in green, the traditional colour, in the West, of the earth and nature. He too is a figure who embodies compassionate, skilful action, and again, all the connotations of everything being natural is suggested by Dickens to be the only true way to embody generosity. As if to prove a point, he is sat atop a throne of festive riches and treats and the room he occupies next to Scrooge's couldn't be more contrasting, with a roaring fireplace, lamps turned up fully and the walls adorned with verdant, lush topiary which seems to be hypnotically swaying, as if alive. The whole scene is symbolic of not only the richness of opportunity that the present moment affords us, but also of how close it always is to us; if only we were to reach out and brush it with our fingertips, what then? Were we to welcome the present moment into our hearts at all times, we would never feel destitute or hard done by ever again. We notice also that the scabbard on the giant's belt is empty of a sword, and that his bare chest is exposed under the robe. Both of these metaphors are crucial to living more truly in the present; we need to come into the awareness of 'now' with a sense of trusting the occupants, both inner and outer. We can't expect to get very far if we are always holding ourselves back inside ourselves, or painting on a smile and extending phoney handshakes. If we chose to try and engage with ourselves and others more meaningfully, we must do so unarmed and bare-chestedly open and honest, psychologically and metaphorically speaking. These two symbols both suggest a person who lives fully comfortable within themselves, mirroring the healthy, egoless sense of confidence of someone who seeks to do nothing but good in this world. To make it explicit, we are told that the giant was "disdaining to be warded or concealed by any artifice." Like the gaze of Ratnasambhava, the spirit's eyes are "kind and gentle" which signifies the warm, benevolent nature of living with true awareness of the present moment, and the torch he bears represents the warmth, comfort, security of living with emotional positivity in the now. The torch itself reminds me of the "Cornucopia", the fabled "Horn of Plenty" in Romano-Greek mythology, from which we get the word 'copious'. In exactly the same way as the Cintamani, the Wish-fulfilling Jewel, the torch not only shines and illuminates literally, but also has the power to grant people that which is most precious in all the worlds, and as Scrooge and his companion pass over the people in the streets and homes, is used to bring the light of awareness and mindfulness to each person it's "golden" sparks touch. Food tastes better, sprits are raised and warring parties in the street find their troubles magically cease. It is Christmas, after all!
This is key to the happiness and playful nature of the Spirit - he finds immense delight, satisfaction and joy not through (literally) self-indulgence, but in the outpouring of his limitless good will and generosity to all beings equally. His gaze definitely faces outwards and he is alive to both the cries and the laughter of the world. Unlike the tortured spirits of self-forged bondage, this spirit's capacity to connect with and to help others makes every task a pleasure. He is Generosity personified, and can easily discern those in need of lifted spirits, as it were. He also recognises and honours the many things we aught to be grateful for in life. Indeed gratitude is the fruit born of the bough of mindfulness. Non-descrimanatory Mindfulness, clear and radiant, (as well as the other four precepts - kindness, generosity, contentment and honesty) is embodied in this hearty and engaging figure, again, explicitly reminding us that a life which is ethically sincere, emotionally positive and genuinely of benefit to others can only be lived in the here and now. There is a definite air of fearlessness, of bravery and of openness associated with ever-present mindfulness. The welcoming lines of "Come in. Come on in, and know me better, Man" with the capitalised 'M' shows Dickens' hand; he is inviting ALL men and women to come on in, and know better the present moment (and themselves) within it's steady embrace.
This is key to the happiness and playful nature of the Spirit - he finds immense delight, satisfaction and joy not through (literally) self-indulgence, but in the outpouring of his limitless good will and generosity to all beings equally. His gaze definitely faces outwards and he is alive to both the cries and the laughter of the world. Unlike the tortured spirits of self-forged bondage, this spirit's capacity to connect with and to help others makes every task a pleasure. He is Generosity personified, and can easily discern those in need of lifted spirits, as it were. He also recognises and honours the many things we aught to be grateful for in life. Indeed gratitude is the fruit born of the bough of mindfulness. Non-descrimanatory Mindfulness, clear and radiant, (as well as the other four precepts - kindness, generosity, contentment and honesty) is embodied in this hearty and engaging figure, again, explicitly reminding us that a life which is ethically sincere, emotionally positive and genuinely of benefit to others can only be lived in the here and now. There is a definite air of fearlessness, of bravery and of openness associated with ever-present mindfulness. The welcoming lines of "Come in. Come on in, and know me better, Man" with the capitalised 'M' shows Dickens' hand; he is inviting ALL men and women to come on in, and know better the present moment (and themselves) within it's steady embrace.
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| The Wisdom of Same-ness and the capacity to reveal spiritual Jewels of delight to others is mirrored in the memorable figure of Tiny Tim, who constantly looks for ways to "bless us, everyone". |
It is in this part of the story that we get to meet Tiny Tim, and alongside Scrooge, we witness the indomitable spirit of the child. He not only personifies skilful engagement and positivity on a less-etherial, more day-to-day level, he is a metaphor for social neglect. Described (ironically, for the family would never had owned any) as "Good as Gold", he knows his place in the world, and in spite of his life-shortening condition, he constantly looks out for the welfare of all others. Says Bob of his son:
"He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see."
The question arises then - how can we extend kindness to ourselves? How do we start with the Man in the Mirror? As I said before, we need to develop an emotional equivalent to our intellectual understanding of things. The spiritual life is about constantly trying to 'wake up' to how life really is; that's the awakening, the 'Bodhi' which the Buddha (or Bodh-a) managed to achieve through his own efforts. Most of us, regrettably, do not have seven years to live the homeless ascetic life of extreme mortification and intense meditation. I bet most of us don't even have our own Bodhi Tree (after which the town where it stands, Bodh Gaya, is named)! So what can we mortals in 21st century samsara do to be more like these inspirational embodiments of positivity?
Something as simple as giving ourselves the gift of ten minutes in the morning to just wake up slowly, by ourselves, over a warm, steaming beverage or ice-cold fruit juice/milk/water can really make a massive difference to the rest of our day. With our hair askew and with half-shut eyes we can bring awareness to the fact that we are currently pretty unaware right now, not really "with it" at this very second in time. You can be gentle with yourself. You can also have some really funny moments at this time of the day, but there's often no-one around to witness them - we've all put our cornflakes back in the fridge, our boiling water into the BOX of teabags, right? Once I solved the increasingly odorous problem of the missing four pints of milk, eventually locating a once-usable microwave and the offending item itself. Sometimes, something as daft as staring into the mirror and pulling faces at the abomination before us can raise a few rueful chuckles and jump-start the eyes a-twinkling. All the while feeling kind and aware that we are still half asleep, we can take the time to really "come around slowly" in an atmosphere of sympathy (note: NOT pity!) and compassionate consideration towards ourself and others. By starting the day with something as simple as ten minutes of self-metta and self-awareness we can avoid the trap of trying to process thoughts about the day ahead, with all it's computations and connotations, whilst your brain is barely firing on half-cylinders. In my case, thats a very generous estimation, but for me there's something warmly familiar to the "getting used to being me, being alive....still" aspect of waking up. Especially when I remind myself that feeling a bit groggy is built into both biological and spiritual awakening, and also that the alternative is simply not acceptable, on either count!
Something as simple as giving ourselves the gift of ten minutes in the morning to just wake up slowly, by ourselves, over a warm, steaming beverage or ice-cold fruit juice/milk/water can really make a massive difference to the rest of our day. With our hair askew and with half-shut eyes we can bring awareness to the fact that we are currently pretty unaware right now, not really "with it" at this very second in time. You can be gentle with yourself. You can also have some really funny moments at this time of the day, but there's often no-one around to witness them - we've all put our cornflakes back in the fridge, our boiling water into the BOX of teabags, right? Once I solved the increasingly odorous problem of the missing four pints of milk, eventually locating a once-usable microwave and the offending item itself. Sometimes, something as daft as staring into the mirror and pulling faces at the abomination before us can raise a few rueful chuckles and jump-start the eyes a-twinkling. All the while feeling kind and aware that we are still half asleep, we can take the time to really "come around slowly" in an atmosphere of sympathy (note: NOT pity!) and compassionate consideration towards ourself and others. By starting the day with something as simple as ten minutes of self-metta and self-awareness we can avoid the trap of trying to process thoughts about the day ahead, with all it's computations and connotations, whilst your brain is barely firing on half-cylinders. In my case, thats a very generous estimation, but for me there's something warmly familiar to the "getting used to being me, being alive....still" aspect of waking up. Especially when I remind myself that feeling a bit groggy is built into both biological and spiritual awakening, and also that the alternative is simply not acceptable, on either count!
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| If we know we struggle to wake up the rest of the year, then we really need to start our day with kindness. Even if we are fine first thing in the morning, we STILL really need to start our day with kindness. Better still, we should question this desire to reduce everyone and everything to label. Labels are limiters! What is a 'morning person' anyway? What does a Tuesday 'feel like'? Why should we support 'The Troops'...? |
We have to make the effort change the outside and the inside, body speech and mind, if transformation is to be lasting and eventually create a self-perpetuating upwards spiral. What if we always go about with the glum expression of a wet, overcast Tuesday morning? What affect does that have on others around us? How many of our closest friends are bubbly and life-affirming types, and how many are whingy, moaning, dour sorts? You see my point, I'm sure. We are drawn towards emotional and spiritual positivity, we can't help it. I'm not referring here to superficial joviality, the "near-enemy" of genuine sympathetic joy, or "mudita". No, that which we recognise in other people as authentically radiant or naturally luminescent, something higher, some 'thing' not quite of this world but very alive to it, and about which we are intrigued. We want to understand it, this unfathomable energy that these people seem to spontaneously magic out of thin air! If we are not careful though, we can develop desires for this light. We can get too attached to the pleasing 'vedana' that this person causes to arise in us and if we are not careful, we can start wishing to appropriate it, rather than appreciate it. The former experience leads to craving and suffering (one way or another) whilst the latter allows us to absorb, to bask in the aesthetic quality of their inner beauty and 'alive-ness'. It's worth being mindful that those people who may seem to everyone to embody emotional positivity unendingly are also human, also fallible, and as such we must not put such people on pedestals. They in turn must take even more care and responsibility of their own duty as ethical agents in the world. Ethical and spiritual sensitivity is often a major contributor to that 'glow'. They are 'at one in themselves', as we say. Is that what we seek? What is it that draws us in to these types of people? Perhaps they seem alive in the truest, most human sense. They are fully awake to life, as well as all the dizzying opportunities for experience that life affords so many of us, but hurry - this once in a lifetime offer is available for a limited time only folks! We have to 'wake up' to that which is alive in us; be it poetry, music, gardening, cooking, films, interacting with animals (pets etc), global activism, raising political awareness, raising or being simply part of a family. Whatever is alive in you, cherish it! In some small way we are reaching out and connecting with others, who will be so grateful, so lead by example! I know you can. It could be clearing the table, cleaning the kitchen stove even! Be kind to yourself, and bring a little joy to it. There will be plenty of time for abject misery later in life, I promise you. Enjoy things whilst we can, in a skilful, kind awareness. We need to be able to look in the mirror and say "yes, this is me, and I'm doing ok." We have to make peace with ourselves. In our world of plenty, I do sometimes wonder when was the last time that we ever felt truly grateful for a hot meal in a warm home? Granted most people in the developed world don't face the same extreme poverty as nearly 170 years ago in Victorian London, and I would never say that we today are all entirely ungrateful at all times, but food for thought, as it were... Something to chew over.
With regards to the Cratchitt household, the pathos established by Dickens with the description of the child as "small and feeble" disappears when we realise that Tiny Tim not only doesn't pity himself, but sees the positive side of his affliction. The lesson for us all is is obvious - No matter what we face in life, just through bravery, honesty, living in the present moment and counting our blessings we can really be of service and benefit to others. The twin gifts of Mindfulness and Fearlessness are two of the finest we can give each other when times are hard, and this is reflected in the family's enthusiasm, gratitude and "universal admiration" for both their humble meal and each others company. Their reaction to their rather modest Christmas pudding again makes it explicit to us that the path to lasting happiness is gratitude:
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| Like Ratnasambha, the Horn of the Spirit shines forth the blazing light of mindfulness and wonder on all beings equally, even an old miser like Scrooge, stranded in the darkness of the material world... |
At this point it is worth just pausing to reflect on Scrooges reaction to this. Most of us when having to confront our own unskilfull behaviour will try and protest, to justify, to contextualise and rationalise things as our ego steps in once more to the rescue. However, in the knowledge that his actions are clearly inexcusable we hear not a peep out of Scrooge. His contrition is obvious. The same when the Spirit shows him the abode of his Nephew Fred, and again he is forced to bear witness to humiliation, derision and ridicule from Fred's guests:
"Scrooge bent before the rebuke, and trembling cast his eyes upon the ground."
Sometimes we do just need to shut up, and really, really take in feedback, myself included, with no defence or argument, just the raw caustic sting of regret, shame and remorse, like petrol fumes in our eyes. We need to start taking more responsibility for ethical agency, and take ownership of our mistakes and how they affect others and their subsequent perception of us.
From that point, we can make a clear, logical decision to not repeat our actions and cements our desire to change. In neither this story, nor in the Buddhist tradition is there any mention of 'guilt', as it is a highly corrosive emotion that benefits no-one. If we are to change our attitudes, it shouldn't be for fear of our own reprimands, or for the approbation of others. Scrooge doesn't change out of guilt, but out a crystalline recognition of his own (human) failings, and uses that remorse to motivate him to mend and then change his ways. In that sense, this is a story about redemption as well as change, but that is for a few days time. The issue of so-called 'guilt' is so important, as after all, self-flagellation only hurts the person holding the whip. Given how beastly he is to his employee, Bob's toast to his employer, "The Founder of the Feast" would be humiliating for Scrooge to hear, as would Mrs. Cratchit's incredulity at drinking to the health of such an "odious, stingy, hard, unfeeling man." The contrast between the Scrooge that they know and the glorious, Ratnasambhava-esque flood of generosity in the face of Man's conceit is sobering.
Scrooge and the Ghost visit many other homes that night, and Scrooge even uses the word "precepts" to describe the training principles behind these visions as they are shown to him, and which he agrees to undertake. In the context of this, at the end of the scene, the Ghost leaves with a clear and damning message before passing away; the present moment took an awful long time to get here, and when it does, we cannot let ourselves be doomed to falling under the sway of our Ignorance and Want (greed). I think it's incredible and fascinating that 170 years ago, Dickens identified and singled out two of the three mental 'poisons', as Buddhism traditionally would have it. The third, Anger, is in many ways an extension of Ignorance - if we saw all beings with the wisdom of Sameness, then it would not be so. Here he choses to personify them as wretched, ragged, bestial creatures, a boy and a girl:
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| The two MAN-MADE poisons of Ignorance and Want - Regrettably, we can never truly know how ignorant we are, no matter how much we might want to.. |
through all the mysteries of wonderful creation, has monsters half so horrible and dread."
We all want happiness. We can learn to develop a deep profound caring for life, including ourselves. We see the beauty in life, and desire to contribute to it, a higher beauty. The confidence of knowing that your ethical behaviour and skilful choices are having a positive difference in the world.
As we have discussed, an emotion is that which moves us to engage (skilfully, I hope) with others; a feeling of general happiness is more passive, more prone to numbness setting in, and if we aren't starting to grasp how short life is and how little time we have to do some good in this world, then frankly we are as good as dead already! As motion denotes something not static, the Third Stage of Positive Emotion is thus the stage of energy being released, which results in volitions and then acts of body, speech and mind which need to be skilful in order to keep our motivation going to integrate further. Our conditions at home especially are so important, but whatever we face, we must train ourselves to see the precious Jewels of Ratnasambhava's, the simple, more refined pleasures more precious than all the gold on earth, in all that we do. We can take the lessons offered by the Spirit of Christmas Present to heart, and we can give spontaneously to all equally (be it time, money or love) out of a desire just to banish pain in others and ourselves, not one human being excluded. We are all human, we all have the same basic desires and fears. I wish we would act like it more often, but there is always hope, as they say. The very miracle of you reading this, on the other side of the world is what inspires me and reminds me how interconnected we all are. We are all 'just stopping by', we are all en route to the grave, why not treat each other like "the fellow travellers" we all are? If, like me, you are interested in quite literally becoming more awesome than you can currently imagine, then we are both on the right path, I assure you. We just need to seek the delight in the pitter-patter of raindrops on window, or the beauty in the abandoned cement works down the road, should we desire to spread our Secret Wings, which I leave you with....
From these man-made mental poisons, Scrooge recoils in terror, and we are all given fair warning that if Mankind doesn't respond to these threats (especially Ignorance), then we are all doomed to an apocalyptic nightmarish future:
"Deny it!...Slander those who tell it ye. Admit it for your factious purposes...make it worse.
And abide the end!"
And abide the end!"
Poignantly, with that the bell strikes twelve, and Scrooge is suddenly left alone. Then out of the shaddows, as if in some twisted Tim Burton movie, we prepare to meet the final Spirit, the ominous hooded silence of The Spirit of Christmas Yet To Come.
Its very hard to wrap up an article on Positive Emotional with Stave Three ending on such a dreadfully somber note, but it is in keeping with the mood of the story at this point. The Spirit of Christmas Present's time on the earth is brief, for that day alone, a reminder of how quickly time slips through our fingers like snow. It seems that now we have become a more authentic, integrated person, now that we have managed to build up some gentle momentum on the upwards spiral, we could just keep on like that. Without any real impetus or drive, just drifting or through life happy to engaging with it. That's not really the point though, is it? What we are talking about here, what we are looking for is permanent change. Deep, effectual change that cannot be reversed. We have to let go of our old ways once and for all, we need to let the old person we once were die if a newer, move capable and grateful one is to emerge and predominate. We can't expect to change our outlook on life and stay the same. Hence we need a lot of emotional positivity in order to have the bravery to progress to the next stage, Receptivity to Spiritual Death. Such positivity and non-descrimanation is beautifully summarised by Sangharakshita:
"Without developing love, compassion, faith, joy, delight, rapture, we won’t get very far. There has to be a firm, quiet ground of positive emotion to our life all the time. This is well within our reach. It is the normal human state. There is nothing extraordinary, nothing even particularly spiritual about it. We just happen to have sunk below that level, at least for the time being. Thus the way of mettā is not only a path of ever-increasing positive emotion leading to Enlightenment. It is a guide to recovering our basic human inheritance of joy."
"Without developing love, compassion, faith, joy, delight, rapture, we won’t get very far. There has to be a firm, quiet ground of positive emotion to our life all the time. This is well within our reach. It is the normal human state. There is nothing extraordinary, nothing even particularly spiritual about it. We just happen to have sunk below that level, at least for the time being. Thus the way of mettā is not only a path of ever-increasing positive emotion leading to Enlightenment. It is a guide to recovering our basic human inheritance of joy."
As we have discussed, an emotion is that which moves us to engage (skilfully, I hope) with others; a feeling of general happiness is more passive, more prone to numbness setting in, and if we aren't starting to grasp how short life is and how little time we have to do some good in this world, then frankly we are as good as dead already! As motion denotes something not static, the Third Stage of Positive Emotion is thus the stage of energy being released, which results in volitions and then acts of body, speech and mind which need to be skilful in order to keep our motivation going to integrate further. Our conditions at home especially are so important, but whatever we face, we must train ourselves to see the precious Jewels of Ratnasambhava's, the simple, more refined pleasures more precious than all the gold on earth, in all that we do. We can take the lessons offered by the Spirit of Christmas Present to heart, and we can give spontaneously to all equally (be it time, money or love) out of a desire just to banish pain in others and ourselves, not one human being excluded. We are all human, we all have the same basic desires and fears. I wish we would act like it more often, but there is always hope, as they say. The very miracle of you reading this, on the other side of the world is what inspires me and reminds me how interconnected we all are. We are all 'just stopping by', we are all en route to the grave, why not treat each other like "the fellow travellers" we all are? If, like me, you are interested in quite literally becoming more awesome than you can currently imagine, then we are both on the right path, I assure you. We just need to seek the delight in the pitter-patter of raindrops on window, or the beauty in the abandoned cement works down the road, should we desire to spread our Secret Wings, which I leave you with....
We cry that we are weak although
We will not stir our secret wings;
The world is dark - because we are
Blind to the starriness of things.
We pluck our rainbow-tinted plumes
And with their heaven-born beauty try
To fledge nocturnal shafts, and then
Complain `Alas! We cannot fly!'
We mutter `All is dust' or else
With mocking words accost the wise:
`Show us the Sun which shines beyond
The Veil' - and then we close our eyes.
To powers above and powers beneath
In quest of Truth men sue for aid,
Who stand athwart the Light and fear
The shadow that themselves have made.
Oh cry no more that you are weak
But stir and spread your secret wings,
And say `The world is bright, because
We glimpse the starriness of things'.
Soar with your rainbow plumes and reach
That near-far land where all are one,
Where Beauty's face is aye unveiled
And every star shall be a sun."
- Sangharakshita, 'Secret Wings"
Yours, with a gladdened heart of Metta,
The Dharma-Farmer xx
May any merit gained in my acting thus be dedicated the the welfare of all being.
No matter your age, gender, ethnicity, sexuality or skin colour,
YOU deserve love just for being born.
Thanks to Subhuti and Dayanandi. For everything, ever, both of you, thank you!
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