Change

It is said that the lotus flower will not grow in pure water and can only bloom fed by the mud of decay.  So too our collective trauma, brokenness, delusions, moral suffering, and pain can, ironically, be the very means for our awakening. Each day, let us awaken to transform ourselves, our communities, our nation, and our world with wisdom and compassion. –Roshi Joan Halifax

Below are some thoughts on this time of change from a Taoist perspective:

(10:30 a.m.) NOTE on Non Attachment:  During this “Great Transition,” the Chi is not Flowing Peacefully... but Raging like a River and assertively eroding away anything in its path... and Old Paradigm Thoughts, Beliefs and Behaviors are no exception.

At this time, if we lack the ability to Detach from the affects of this Assertive Influential Chi, the results may not be as Peaceful or as Graceful as we’d prefer.  

How do we manage the Energetics of Yang Assertiveness, is to Skillfully Compensate with relative Yin Expressions.  Slowing Down, Detaching or Letting Go are a few beneficial examples, under these excessively Yang Circumstances.  

If you’re not comfortable with applying the Brakes... you can practice just easing off the Gas or Excellerator and simply Cruise!  

Nobody’s saying you hafta “Stop” doing what you’re doing.  But Change the Way you’re Doing It!  That’s what’s being required for this Next Evolutionary Step.  

The Great Transition is all about “Change!”  Now, How We Choose to Change, is up to us!  But something needs to Change within us.  

With all respects, you don’t hafta do anything you don’t wanna do.  Just consider any consequences you may hafta pay, in order to have it your way!  That consideration may just be the Motivation you need, in order to benefit from this Great Transition.  

Peace & Good Health... Namaste,

~ Uncle Obi ~ 🙏☯️✌️

Both of the above perspectives on change are so wonderful to consider as we discard our masks, some but not all of us, and reenter the outside world, so to speak. While sequestered, our worlds grew small to include just those living with us. Some started gardens for the very first time of their lives, others read vociferously and still others remained bored unable to engage in much other than what was absolutely essential to their daily lives. Some experienced the richness of BEing while others seems to pout and exclaim, "oh poor me".

All of us here in our small home in Cotati, California, made big changes but now are settling into BEing in our lovely space. Cathie is recreating the garden while Dwight is focused on washing and moving our Prius into the cleared out garage . . . finally. 

Shasta is sleeping as she energetically entertained lunch guests yesterday.

No matter the process of our present daily life, may we each have a frequent hardy

 

Necessary

“Let us meet this present moment with clarity, strength, and love."  

Rev. Joan Jiko Halifax

Beargrass (Nolina microcarpa) in the snow
along with Dwight's stunning sculpture.

We are at the end of a five year cycle of chaos. This cycle seems to have been necessary to bring to the fore so many issues in our country having previously been swept "under the rug" so to speak: white supremacy that abused women, children, people of color and just about anyone else who was not a white man. Five years ago amidst so much dissatisfaction among the United States inhabitants our 45th President ran for office. People were unhappy with the lack of movement by our Congress and wanted a change. Well indeed change happened The present inhabitant of our White House brought change unlike anything heretofore seen by a President.  His outrageous tweets, the seemingly only way this man communicated, constantly stirred things up so the "norm" was totally unrecognizable. 

With daily startling happenings obliterated any sense of normalcy, the #Me2Movement gained traction with the sexual harassment and sexual assault finally honored for what it was instead of blaming the children and women who had experienced such awful invasion of their persons. "They asked for it" attitude seemed no longer a justification in courts of law.

And the general populous no longer went along with the police brutality of black men and women too. Huge and diverse crowds gathered in the streets in many American cities to march against the killing of black men and women in the name of "the law". Many athletes in all of major league sports took to their platforms standing up against the atrocities measured out on many black men. These now "famous" men often related how they had been pulled over by the police. Some even shared how they had been "locked up" but never charged nor been allow legal counsel or even a phone call before being released. Black Lives Matter has become a movement all Americans regardless of color are participating in.

Complacency had befallen voters all over the country. People abdicated their responsibility to BE involved and vote. Then citizens began to recognize the importance of voting. Hundreds of thousands of postcards and letters were written to encourage this act. In the election of 2020 people showed up and voted in records numbers either with "mail in" ballots or going to the polls to vote in person.

Here in Santa Fe, New Mexico,
we are so often presented with beautiful clouds as these.

So my take today is that the man sitting in our White House was necessary to awaken all of us living in the United States to participate and not be complacent. I remember Starhawk, many years ago, saying that people get what they deserve if they do not vote. Minimal voter turnout of 2016 allowed a sociopathic narcissist to move into our White House.

I for one am elated that come January 20, 2021, in Washington, D.C., we will have a president inaugurated who will respect tradition, undo all of the terribly detrimental proclamations of the past four years and support national as well as individual healing of every citizen in this country. I trust that a sense of stability will return so that we as a nation can get on with necessary action to combat the climate catastrophe as well as more effectively deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Also, I am ever so excited to see the effects of a woman of color as VicePresident on our nation.

Until that momentous celebration, as we are continue to be inundated with shenanigans by the present White House occupant, many we