Life is continually changing. And although it is natural for us to fear change, by shutting down to that fear we shut down our life. Hence, opening to change, frightening as it may be, is opening to life.
The tool we need to supply the strength for this journey lies no further than our own heart. The power of a compassionate heart is the strong force of the universe that binds us to a lasting truth. The oldest written book we know is the Taoist I Ching or “Book of Changes”. A fundamental experience to all life is its transience. Even our planet, the very home to humanity, is changing. Yet, throughout human experience, we have endeavored to find stability and meaning. In order to live a full and rewarding existence, we have grasped at straws of permanence in ourselves, our spirituality, religion, art, science and even politics. Yet, attempts at solidifying our experience are themselves subject to decay and dissolution.
This dissonance has created great tension in our lives. We are changing, and yet, we long to find stability and something that lasts. The great Taoist philosophies from which Confucianism and Buddhism extend, posit the image of a river. The river has been flowing for through epochs, but each time we step in, it is an entirely new river.
As a tree grows, it is not cursed with the question of its existence, nor has it the need to find meaning to validate its experience. Animals, find need in dominance and survival and their existence is largely fearful. But humans have the greatest challenge of life on our planet. We are blessed with the curse of knowing. We can see just enough to understand that our time is very limited. Yet, we still don’t understand why. Hence, we struggle between the botanical model of ignoring our existence, or closing down into patterns of defensiveness. When we feel good, the tendency is to escape into frivolous experience, as though we have all the time in the world. We consume beyond our needs, take more space than is offered and live without appreciation. On the other hand, when circumstances arise that we are forced to see the precarious nature of our experience, we might burrow into warrens of protective repetition, shutting down our life into a dull, but controllable, routine. In either case, we are gripping, clinging and closing off our life. And in neither case, are we able to sustain our position. Exuberance and fear are both subject to change. And, in fact, most of us cycle back and forth between the two extremes. Life seems blissful when we are lost in a dream, but when the dream ends and we are faced with a life that has not been related to, we fall into depression of guilt and blame.
There is a third option, a middle way that includes joy and truth. And that is, opening to our life, as it is and finding the love, joy and acceptance for which we yearn in our own heart and mind. We realize our basic human dignity by opening to fear, rather than finding an exit to a more manageable or less painful experience. When we accept that life is change and that change is frightening, we can open beyond. By opening to change, we are waking up to the truth of our experience. When we choose a life of knowing, caring and compassion are natural. And this gives a profound meaning to our experience. By connecting to the stream of love, we are connected to the lineage of life.
And, life, like the river in our analogy is the lasting experience we are craving. By opening, we step past our fear and touch our heart. When we connect to that self love and caring, we are connected to the love of the universe. And, whether that love is God, Dharma, the Tao, Humanity or History it is a living flow that is has never changed, and is different each time we step into it. The present has been flowing for as long as there has been life in the cosmos. But each time we come back to the present, it is a new and rich experience.