01
Living from the center of our Original Nature, seeking the Source of Life and Being, embracing the Mystery at the heart of it all, we become the Messiah, The Anointed One, come to set others free to live from the center of their own Original Nature, seeking the Source of Life and Being, embracing the Mystery at the heart of it all... And so it is passed from one to another, the secret of doing what needs to be done, the way it needs to be done, when and where it needs to be done, in each moment of every situation as it arises, all our life long. Living well is responding well to the circumstances of life day in and day out, with nothing in it for us beyond living our life as it needs to be lived one moment at a time. See what you look at, listen to what you are hearing, know what's what and what needs to be done about it, and do it. Time after time. "Without hope, without witness, without reward" (Steven Moffat, "Doctor Who"). Smiling. Laughing. Because it needs to be done. Because it needs us to do it. And here we are. Why not?
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02
We have four problems: Knowing what is happening, Knowing what needs to be done about it, Knowing what we can do about that, Doing it. That's it. Everything falls into place around these four things. In order for these four things to happen, we need a perspective that takes itself into account, and enough distance between ourselves and what is happening to allow observation and reflection to the point of realization, and from there, it comes down to courage. My own, personal, path to being courageous is to tell myself, "I owe it to myself to find out if I have anything to be afraid of." Which means doing what I am afraid of. The only way to know if our ghosts and goblins are real is to walk up to them and spit in their eye-- prepared to deal with any outcome, and trusting ourselves to know what to do, and do it, no matter what happens. Knowing what to do comes from living from the center of our Original Nature, and letting whatever happens happen, continuing to live from the center of our Original Nature through it all. We build up a very strong bond with our Original Nature this way, and with that as our anchor to the rock of who we are, we take the position of Ulysses in being able to declare, "I will persevere and endure. And when the heaving sea has shaken my raft to pieces, then I will swim!" The ghost and goblins will have met their match. And we will be reliably who we are in each situation as it arises. That is the optimal position from which to live our life through what remains of the time left for living. Be there. Do that.
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03
There are at least two things about the Dalai Lama that are instructive and helpful at this point in our collective life. The first reflects the Zen saying, "If you meet an elephant coming toward you along the path-- GET OFF THE PATH!!!" When China invaded and destroyed Tibet, the Dalai Lama got out of town, out of the country, and took refuge in Pakistan. The Dalai Lama saw what was happening and knew what to do in response. That is the first thing. The second thing is like unto it. The Dalai Lama is the shinning light of compassion wherever he goes. He has never said a disparaging word about China, or the Chinese occupation of Tibet. His demeanor is one of loving-kindness and humility. He espouses love for one another and all others all of the time. And yet, and yet... The Dalai Lama's bodyguards carry automatic weapons. The Dalai Lama is no fool. The Dalai Lama is the living example of the importance of embodying Yin and Yang in our daily life. Integrating the opposites. Harmonizing the contradictions. Balancing the dichotomies. Living out of the tension of the polarities. Dancing with the contraries. Bearing the pain of incompatible truths. Maintaining the peace and serenity of the center "between the hands" (On the one hand, this, and on the other hand, that). These two things are how it is to be with us. We harmonize, balance, keep the peace between opposing forces. And bear in our body the marks of the cross-- the cross of irreconcilable poles, treating the important things as though they are important without taking anything seriously. Find that balance point and you become the source of harmony the world is dying for. And you find that you are able to do what needs to be done when and where it needs to be done, the way it needs to be done, With equanimity, balance and harmony, homeostasis and equilibrium-- like a gyroscope turning out of its own center, stabilizing all the world.
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04
Which would you prefer: to be loved, or to be treated lovingly? Think of Jesus' command to "Love your neighbor as you love yourself" in this light. Jesus doesn't care how we feel about your neighbor. Jesus cares about how we treat your neighbor. When white supremacists say, "I don't hate black people," but black people can't tell the difference between being hated and not being hated, they may a well hate black people for all the good not hating them does them. The idea is to treat all people of color lovingly, along with all other people. So they cannot tell whether we love them or not-- and don't care. Believe whatever it takes to treat all people lovingly. That is as much theology as anyone needs.
