A Different View

The fact that material success or achievement does not bring the happiness frequently implied by various advertisements has certainly been true in my life and has also been mentioned by many spiritual leaders. I like the gentle way that the Dalai Lama puts it, that "Yet strangely, my impression is that those living in the materially developed countries, for all their industry, are in some ways less satisfied, are less happy and to some extent suffer more than those living in the least developed countries." He calls for a "spiritual revolution", putting more emphasis on "love and compassion, patience, tolerance, forgiveness, contentment, a sense of responsibility, a sense of harmony". That shift has worked for me, leading to a very fulfilling life.

Change

It’s amusing, entertaining, uncomfortable and frustrating to watch myself switch attitudes from thinking and feeling that the changing I’m going through is a bit too fast, to feeling impatience at the slowness. I can make that switch in a heartbeat. The two opposing attitudes seem to be a normal part of being in the midst of change. When I meditate I get a strong feeling of peace and that the universe is unfolding just fine. Time to meditate!

Following Guidance

We had our monthly men’s meeting tonight and I talked about my coming move and the fact that I feel a strong spiritual calling to go back east to around the D.C. area in Maryland. I also talked about the same with Maria, my wife, later in the evening and it occurs to me that on the one hand I am quite certain of the spiritual importance and significance of the move. And on the other hand I am "lost in a trackless desert", meaning that I have no even slightly conventional goal in mind like getting a degree, training or job promotion. I want to play my part but have no idea what that is!

Searching

I have been thinking about the joke in which a man is looking for his lost watch under a street lamp, when in fact he lost the watch in a nearby dark alley. When asked why he is looking under the street lamp he replies "because this is where the light is". The fact is that I looked for happiness and satisfaction in my life through intellect, accomplishment and material possessions because my parents, friends and the TV told me that I would find them there, that was where the light was. I have since learned that I needed to look in the dark alley of feelings, vulnerability, love and relationships. As a result of looking in that dark alley and then developing what I found there, I now have a very meaningful and fulfilling life.

Spirituality

Recently I have been looking into particle physics and quantum mechanics, from a spiritual, love based perspective. In the past I have immersed myself in the writings of some of the mystical Christian Saints like Teresa of Avila or John of the Cross. I have also explored the Buddhism of Wolfgang Kopp and the Hinduism of Nisargadata Maharaj. I spent several years experiencing Native American spirituality and many hours in both traditional and non-traditional sweat lodges. I have felt a strong identity with them all and have a very strong sense that in each case they are experiencing and describing the same things, often using different words. I have also come to know that the words used do not matter.

Acceptance

I am going through a time of not being very accepting of my disability and related difficulties, particularly my speech problems. Several years ago, when I was still using crutches, a friend asked me how I was doing and I replied "good". My friend then responded "how can you be good, you can’t walk?". My response to him was "you can’t fly, and it doesn’t bother you". By that I meant that I had completely accepted my limitations and decided to live within them. It is a difficult dance for me but if I am to continue being functional and not angry, I need to accept the reality of my capabilities while doing all I can to change.