05
If you cannot be vulnerable, you will be symptomatic all your life, and crazy as well. We are surrounded by vulnerabilities! There is no way we can be protected from them all! Everything worthwhile about us and about our life is strictly dependent upon our vulnerability threshold. The more vulnerable we can be, the more mature we are capable of becoming, the more relaxed and natural we are able to be in relation to the world, and the more capable we are gong to be in responding appropriately to each situation as it arises throughout our days upon the earth. If you are going to take anything on faith, let it be your capacity to be vulnerable and be just fine with whatever life throws at you. Practice raising your vulnerability quotient by deliberately putting yourself in situations you don't control, letting yourself be free to make it up as you go. Like dancing to tunes you have never heard, or finding your way around in a strange city, or driving down unfamiliar roads to see where they go.
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04
Living in accord with the Tao is listening to our unconscious, is immersing ourselves in a situation, waiting for the mud to settle and the water to clear, and seeing what emerges as the way to respond to what is called for over time, as we tweak our response to take additional information into account, balancing and harmonizing the contraries and contradictions, complexities and contingencies, as they become apparent in the eternal dance with what can happen and what needs to happen through the ages throughout eternity. There is no steady state of "peace at last." There only/always living in the moment in light of what needs to be done there, in light of what is called for, in light of what can be done there, in light of what we need to do what is needed there, all our life long-- all life long. Growing up is adjusting ourselves to the requirement of having to adjust ourselves to something all our life long. If we are not growing (up), we are dead.
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03
In the story of the woman taken in adultery, Jesus takes a time-out, squats and draws in the dust with his finger, then he rises and says, "Let the one without sin cast the first stone." Beautifully done. Rising wonderfully to the occasion. Responding to the moment directly, without consulting the authorities, taking a poll, or asking his mother what he should do. Jesus speaks from the source of sincerity, balance and harmony. "Like the spirit blowing where it will." Who knows what it will come up with next? And, in order for it to happen then and there, Jesus called time-out, and sat drawing in the dust. He was withdrawing from the moment of action, to center himself, put himself in accord with the Tao, listen within, open to the wisdom of the heart/soul/unconscious/psyche waiting for the shift that urged him to rise and speak out of the truth of what was called for in the time that was at hand. In order to do that, he had to have been there before. Going there is called "prayer." It is also called "meditation." "Reflection." "Contemplation." "Connection." "Communion." If you don't know what I'm talking about, sit still, be quiet, and watch what happens. And repeat this over time. "Over time" being regularly for the rest of your life. And stop trying to cover all of your bases by carefully thinking things out in advance. Trust yourself to know what you know in the moment that is calling for it, to be known, by listening through some equivalent of drawing in the dust.
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02
It's a snap to think the wrong things are important, to leave the path, stray away from the way, and have nothing to do with the things crying out for us to do them. Being clear. Being focused. Being grounded and centered. Being present and accounted for. In the service of what is ours to do. Is not a snap at all. We have to be awake and mindfully aware at all times. Self-transparent. In accord with the Tao. Attuned to the moment and to ourselves. Alert to what is happening and what is called for moment-by-moment. Caring so much about being who the moment needs us to be that we distance ourselves from all other concerns in order to act sincerely, without contrivance, spontaneously doing what is appropriate to the occasion one occasion after another all our life long and being right about it every time. Doing the right thing. At the right time. In the right way. All the time. Is not a snap. And, if we aren't doing it, we are letting ourselves and each other down. All the time.
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01
From prison, John the Baptist sent his disciples to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come, or shall we wait for another?" Jesus replied, "Go and tell John, 'I am who I am, doing what is mine to do-- no one can do better than that!'" What would it take for us to be who we are, doing what is ours to do-- And letting the outcome be the outcome? Not trying to pivot ourselves into some luxurious, privileged, glorious ever after-- but just meeting the moment, moment-by-moment, doing what is called for in each situation as it arises, just being who we are, doing what is ours to do throughout each day, throughout our life?
