Sunday Musings - November 21, 2021
In part, thanks to Krista Tippett and the folks who create the On Being podcast, I have been thinking a lot about hope. This week’s On Being podcast features Pico Iyer in conversation with Elizabeth Gilbert.
Ms. Gilbert quotes verse 13 of the Tao Te Ching “Hope is as hollow as fear.” I understand this as a reminder that internal peace is achieved only when we can allow ourselves to be fully present; not thinking of the past or the future and not assigning a value to the moment. My Buddhist teacher would suggest the same. All just is. I can greet what is with love, resentment, hate, joy or a myriad of emotions, all of which imply a judgement, or I can be quietly present with an open heart.
Research consistently shows that the most valuable tool of the physician is his or her ability to listen – to be present. This is also true for clergy/spiritual teachers, other teachers, parents and counselors. For example, I want to be open to seeing the pain or fear beneath anger. I must be willing to be present to pain without accepting the invitation to try it on. I often use the musical concept of transpose with those whose outer garment is anger. I can choose to attend to the anger or other pushing away emotion which is only going to increase the emotion or i can choose to attend to the underlying pain. If I choose to attend to the pain I can choose to feed it or I can be quietly present with it. Obviously, i can only be quietly present to the pain of others if I have practiced being quietly present with my own pain.
Often, the easiest pain I face is physical pain. To be sure pain is pain. If you slowly physically torture me I am going to experience it as excruciating pain. It is doubtful that I will ever be emotionally or spiritually advanced enough to stay conscious and disassociated enough to not experience the physical torture as pain. Yet, emotional pain is often more intense. Emotional pain is always connected to expectations about past or future behavior. For example, I expect my son to play his role in my version of the “Leave it to Beaver” sitcom. When he does not I may tell myself I am grievously hurt or disappointed.
I continue at times to give power to others to determine my worth or my state of mind. I am not always healthy enough to prevent myself from giving away this power. I am now, thankfully, at some level, always aware that my negative or hurtful response is because of my expectations. While it is true I may decide to create distance to negative energy, it is always because if I stay I will add to the negative energy. My evolution is such that I cannot be with certain energy and hold on to my peaceful center. That is not wrong or right. It just is. I could hope tomorrow I will be healthier. I could hope tomorrow the world will be closer to the design I have created. I could hope tomorrow all politicians will want to listen to each other and will work for the common good. I could hope tomorrow I will have the perfect human partner who takes none of my negative human behavior personally.
At most, my life journey which measures 81 years on the Gregorian calendar, is 1 second long. In that second nothing matters except how I respond to what is. In that moment all is perfect in its imperfection. There is no next moment. Now is this moment. Since I began writing it has always been this moment. There is no other.
“Hope is as hollow as fear.”
Written November 21, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
oachpickett.org
In part, thanks to Krista Tippett and the folks who create the On Being podcast, I have been thinking a lot about hope. This week’s On Being podcast features Pico Iyer in conversation with Elizabeth Gilbert.
Ms. Gilbert quotes verse 13 of the Tao Te Ching “Hope is as hollow as fear.” I understand this as a reminder that internal peace is achieved only when we can allow ourselves to be fully present; not thinking of the past or the future and not assigning a value to the moment. My Buddhist teacher would suggest the same. All just is. I can greet what is with love, resentment, hate, joy or a myriad of emotions, all of which imply a judgement, or I can be quietly present with an open heart.
Research consistently shows that the most valuable tool of the physician is his or her ability to listen – to be present. This is also true for clergy/spiritual teachers, other teachers, parents and counselors. For example, I want to be open to seeing the pain or fear beneath anger. I must be willing to be present to pain without accepting the invitation to try it on. I often use the musical concept of transpose with those whose outer garment is anger. I can choose to attend to the anger or other pushing away emotion which is only going to increase the emotion or i can choose to attend to the underlying pain. If I choose to attend to the pain I can choose to feed it or I can be quietly present with it. Obviously, i can only be quietly present to the pain of others if I have practiced being quietly present with my own pain.
Often, the easiest pain I face is physical pain. To be sure pain is pain. If you slowly physically torture me I am going to experience it as excruciating pain. It is doubtful that I will ever be emotionally or spiritually advanced enough to stay conscious and disassociated enough to not experience the physical torture as pain. Yet, emotional pain is often more intense. Emotional pain is always connected to expectations about past or future behavior. For example, I expect my son to play his role in my version of the “Leave it to Beaver” sitcom. When he does not I may tell myself I am grievously hurt or disappointed.
I continue at times to give power to others to determine my worth or my state of mind. I am not always healthy enough to prevent myself from giving away this power. I am now, thankfully, at some level, always aware that my negative or hurtful response is because of my expectations. While it is true I may decide to create distance to negative energy, it is always because if I stay I will add to the negative energy. My evolution is such that I cannot be with certain energy and hold on to my peaceful center. That is not wrong or right. It just is. I could hope tomorrow I will be healthier. I could hope tomorrow the world will be closer to the design I have created. I could hope tomorrow all politicians will want to listen to each other and will work for the common good. I could hope tomorrow I will have the perfect human partner who takes none of my negative human behavior personally.
At most, my life journey which measures 81 years on the Gregorian calendar, is 1 second long. In that second nothing matters except how I respond to what is. In that moment all is perfect in its imperfection. There is no next moment. Now is this moment. Since I began writing it has always been this moment. There is no other.
“Hope is as hollow as fear.”
Written November 21, 2021
Jimmy F Pickett
oachpickett.org
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