"Do you have the patience to wait till the mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself?" Lao Tzu
Days of urgent weather alerts, rain, and evacuation warnings. and more rain, has brought me back to Lao Tzu's quote. It is a timeless instruction in meditation. While there are many, many ideas, intentions, and techniques of meditation in 21st Century life, Lao Tzu, circa 4th Century BCE, hits at the heart of "right action", knowing how to be, what to do, in whatever situation you face. Let the mud settle. Wait until you yourself are clear--your emotions settle, your reactions settle, your thoughts quieten, and something within you bubbles up and you see it, feel it, know what to do. That right action may have you continuing your routine, or it may open to a completely new one. It may simply bring peace of mind. It may bring you back to this November theme of gratitude.
Feeling genuine gratitude is difficult when events and outcomes are uncertain. As I write, the Southern California "atmospheric river" continues it's downpour, but it is more of a dance which keeps changing rhythms: slow, fast, stop, begin again, heavy, light, sprinkle. The weather predictions shift. Evacuation warnings and emergency flash flood alerts fade, re-surface, fade. People in my neighborhood have settled inside for the weekend, bringing a welcomed calm, despite the uncertainties. Perhaps, after 2 days of alarming announcements, most of us have reached the stage of simple acceptance, as we wait for the next directive.
Acceptance though, is not the same as gratitude. I imagine most of us in this neighborhood are aware (and grateful) that the storm pattern has an unusual on/off/on/off flow, allowing time for the ground to deeply absorb the rain, before a new pounding begins. But there is more to this stormy weekend. At the end of the 2-3 storms predicted this week, the risk of further wild fires this season will dramatically drop. Here, we sit in the presence of Nature's wondrous balance. Gratitude is anticipatory.
Gratitude is more than just recognition of the Good, the Delights of your life, what you have known up to this point. "Counting your blessings", savoring the flavor of Life as friendship, healing, beauty and bounty, are all aspects of giving thanks. But beyond that is Gratitude for the Good even now on it's way to you. Stay open and optimistic, in quiet Gratitude for Life's gifts, already in motion. This is the way of affirmation. (Susan Nettleton)
For poetry: https://sacompassion.net/poem-from-the-cure-at-troy-by-seamus-heaney/ https://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php%3Fdate=2012%252F10%252F06.html https://allpoetry.com/poem/14326890-The-Laughing-Heart-by-Charles-Bukowski