William Martin's Blog, page 8
November 1, 2018
Archetypes of Freedom – Pete Seeger
October 26, 2018
Dropping Leaves
October 22, 2018
Stop!
October 17, 2018
Twelve by Twelve
October 11, 2018
Transformation Built for Two
April 27, 2017
Spiritual Language
The use of eloquent words
will not illuminate this path.
Sophisticated argument
will not convince others of its truth.
Books without number
will not teach this path.
Simplicity is the practical and joyful guide
that teaches us this way to walk.
From The Tao Te Ching, Chapter 81
Whenever a person tries to learn a new language, it is filtered through the existing language — “this means this” — so that the old language continues to provide the framework and world view for the new. Almost any language expert will insist that the only truly effective way to become fluent in a new language is by immersion; putting ourselves into the new culture with no reference to our old language; learning from scratch the way we learned our native language as children. At first we necessarily translate in our thoughts, but eventually we stop thinking in the old language and begin to see the world through the new. This is terribly difficult, especially for older people.
Developing an authentic spirituality is like learning an entirely new language, one with an unfamiliar way of seeing the world. It can only come through the same kind of immersion. We have been educated, trained, and conditioned to be afraid. We have been taught to handle that fear by consumerism, achievement, and violence. These are the nouns, verbs, and adjectives that the mind has incorporated and they are not easily replaced. Fortunately, authentic spirituality was present in our mind before the conditioned culture replaced it. We’ve forgotten it, but it remains. Immersion is still difficult, but if we are willing we can develop the ability to see the world through an entirely different map; one with a new language and new understandings from an entirely new paradigm – a paradigm that was in place in our original mind.
Most of our training in spirituality has been “religion as a second language.” Our beliefs, rituals, and structures have been constructed from our conditioned language with all of its built-in assumptions. We therefore are always translating the spiritual world back into the “real world.” Some of us may be somewhat “bi-lingual” but are really fluent only in our existing cultural paradigm. This bi-lingual approach to spirituality will no longer work. We do not have the leisure for that strategy. I, at age 72, certainly do not. Our culture, on the brink of disintegration, certainly does not. The time has come for immersion; for leaving behind our so-called “native language” and giving ourselves no option but to learn to communicate in a new, deeper, more authentic manner.
To truly become fluent in a new spiritual language we must find the places where we sense this deeper language might be in use: in the natural world of trees, rivers, and stones; in the presence of animals and plants; with traditional tribes and peoples; any place that inner and outer silence is common. It will be difficult to discern this new language with certainty for we will keep trying to translate back into familiar ways of being and seeing. We may easily slip back into the old language out of fear, or habit, or desire. We don’t punish ourselves for these slips. Punishment is never an effective teaching tool. We simply keep returning to the places where we know that this deeper language is being spoken, no matter how faint or unintelligible it seems to us. We will learn if we just keep listening and practicing, letting the unfamiliar feelings and ideas gradually impress themselves upon our waiting minds. We once knew this language by heart and will soon respond with increasing ease and fluency.
April 12, 2017
A Purpose-Filled Life
Other people have a purpose, I alone don’t know. I drift like a wave on the ocean, I blow as aimless as the wind.
From The Tao Te Ching, Chapter 20 – trans. Stephen Mitchell
How often have you been encouraged by book, article, or meme on FaceBook to find your life’s purpose? It’s almost as if your purpose is to find your purpose. This approach presupposes that any dissatisfaction I am experiencing will magically disappear when I find this elusive “purpose.” I confess to having often been caught in that subtle trap of assuming that my life is not quite enough just as it is; that there is something vital I have overlooked that is causing me to have a somehow lessened experience. Even now, at age seventy-two, I find myself occasionally wondering what my “purpose” for these later years might be.
Inevitably such musings lead me into the tall grass of mental confusion and angst. What if I haven’t yet found that “bliss,” – that central driving force that the gurus insist will complete my life? What if I never find it? I’m doing work I enjoy, but is this really “it?” Is it altruistic enough? Does it help lead to world peace and save the environment? Is it loving enough? … all questions the conditioned mind uses to fuel its habitual insistence that I’m not quite good enough just as I am; that there is always something for which to seek in order to “complete” my life.
The search for purpose is easily used to distract us from paying attention to the purpose inherent in the present moment. Taoist thought offers an alternative to this pervasive cultural myth. Perhaps, says Lao-Tzu, purpose is not something to be sought but is actually an inherent quality of each and every life. And perhaps this inherent quality is as natural as breathing – nothing special, simply that which accompanies our experience in every moment, if we are paying attention. There is the rub, paying attention.
If there is some particular “calling”, some over-arching direction for my life it will be discovered, not by intensive searching but by calm and relaxed attention to the present moment. However such mysterious callings are often driven by unconscious motivations of “specialness” and can be a real ego trap unless they are undertaken with a light touch. Dedicating one’s life to a cause, a purpose, a transcendent mystery sounds exciting and compelling, but in this area I suggest we proceed with great care. It is entirely possible that this slippery thing called purpose is far more “ordinary” and does not yield itself to search, but instead waits quietly in each magical breath, waiting for us to pay attention, waiting for us to be willing to take the next little step along the path of our life.
Our life’s path is not something from which we can stray nor is our life’s purpose something we can fail to achieve. The path is always the next small step and the purpose is always inherent in that step. I did not choose to be alive. That is a mysterious gift from an equally Mysterious Giver. Perhaps my purpose is to experience it all to the very depths of my being. In doing so, I truly believe that I will discover “purposeful” activities as a matter of natural course. My purpose is to do these dishes. My purpose is to travel thousands of miles to visit my new granddaughter. My purpose is to walk through the forest this afternoon. My purpose is to listen carefully to my spouse right now. What more purpose could I want than to see, each and every moment, the beauty and opportunity that is set before me?
Relax, enjoy, pay attention, breathe, and let the Tao flow without constriction through your day.
Blessings to us all.
March 13, 2017
Mystery and Magic in the Tao
I have often made a point of distinguishing the philosophical Taoism of Lao-Tzu from the more “religious” Taoism of rituals, gods, goddesses, and beliefs that make up the primitive folk religion of China. Lao-Tzu carefully avoids prescribing beliefs or rituals, preferring instead to present a universal image of the great Tao that is the fundamental energy of the Cosmos no matter what belief systems cultures may pile around it. This distinction is helpful as we seek to discover a mature spirituality for ourselves without carrying all the rules, regulations, and control structures of our inherited “Desert Religion” traditions.
It would be a tragic mistake, however, to think of this philosophical Taoism as devoid of mystery, awe, and spiritual depth. Once we admit that we are not isolated, skin-enclosed, separate beings we are ushered into a world of possibilities; of mystery and what might even be called “magic.” The roots of Taoist experience could actually be categorized as an “indigenous” spirituality. It is built on the assumption that all things are connected in a Web of Life – from the tiniest sub-atomic particle/wave to the largest and farthest galaxy. The forest I see through my window is not an environment in which I walk but an eternal dance in which I swing and sway with the music of the Tao. The Tao is not merely a philosophical template. It is the numinous primal power of existence itself.
Consider the implications: The Douglas Fir that shines in the sunlit moisture from the melting snow is alive – I mean alive! I am connected to it not merely by the subjective appreciation of its beauty in the patterns of my brain cells, but by an energy field that is real and palpable. An energy field in which I affect the Fir and it affects me in subtle but discernible ways. Fold in the rest of the forest, the snow, the hidden life, and the majestic Mount Shasta in the distance, and I find myself back in the magic world of my distant ancestors; a world in which everything is alive and in which nothing can be considered separate from anything else.
We are not used to this paradigm of reality. It may be an uncomfortable awakening and a difficult path to walk. Mystical spiritual traditions can provide some guidance from older maps of this realm, but uncovering the way ahead will be a unique experience for each of us – one that will combine the sophistication of modern physics with the ancient more intuitive awareness of the world of Spirit.
New spiritual practices, perhaps modeled on ancient ones like dancing, drumming, singing, and chanting, may find a place in our lives. Silent meditation and silent walks may help us find a new experience of the natural world of which we are a part. Community celebrations of all types will reinforce our connection rather than our separation. The possibilities are limitless. I have just begun to take this entrancing journey from my intellect into my body and world, so I can’t give any expert advice. It is important that we each develop a trust in our own mystical heart, that place of knowing that we left behind early in childhood. The life we sense around us is part of us and we are part of it. All of this life will be available to assist our understandings in ways we haven’t yet imagined. So let’s begin to imagine it; to step into the broader and deeper world of Reality that is our true home. It is perhaps our only hope for continuing to be a part of the Dance here on Earth.
February 20, 2017
The Yin and Yang of Climate Crisis
Highly Recommend! The Yin and Yang of Climate Crisis, by Brendan Kelly, L.Ac. Published by 
North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, CA.
I find it difficult to discuss, or even read about, the climate crisis facing our planet today. I am familiar with the overwhelming data over the past fifty years that makes the idea of “debating climate change” much like holding a town hall forum on the possibility that the earth is round and that gravity may pull things downward. I tend to go berserk when I have to face the continuing rush of my society toward the destruction of the natural world.
I found it therefore a welcome relief to sink into the single most helpful book I’ve come across in twenty years of reading on this theme. Brendan Kelly’s marvelous book, The Yin and Yang of Climate Crisis, blends a clear-eyed understanding of the extreme dangers we face as an out-of-control materialistic society, with a rational understanding of the traditional practice of Chinese medicine that results in a serious but profoundly optimistic perspective on the future of Earth and of humanity.
I don’t pretend to understand the complexity of the traditional Chinese view of medicine and spirituality, but Kelly’s basic explanations of the “Five Elements” in Chinese thought – Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood – create a helpful model for understanding the processes within human beings and also within the environment that have led to the climate crisis. The same model also provides an understanding of the way in which the Tao is already moving into a flow that will return balance to the Earth, and to human beings if we learn to cooperate with this flow.
In a chapter titled, Quality Controls Quantity, he uses the Chinese understanding of “Metal” as the fundamental element that, among other things, exerts a controlling influence on the overheated nature of our situation. An increase in Metal implies a deeper connection with nature and thus to all things. This understanding increases our appreciation of each possession that comes into our life. We sense the web of life that brought all the elements of this wooden spoon, this shovel, this computer, this meal together and into our life at this particular time. This increased appreciation of everything we have naturally leads to a decreased need to have more things. This connection to nature removes climate action from the realm of battle, confrontation, and “being right.” Action instead becomes natural, unavoidable, and as more and more people move in this direction, unstoppable. We take our place as part of the Flow of Tao as it literally “cools the excess heat” of humanity and of the planet.
The “Fire” element of Summer and of internal joy and activity can be a healthy blessing, but in a culture where more and more is the norm, we easily become overheated with too much of the Yang of Fire. The quantity of frenetic activity in the typical American life creates an excess of Fire – of the internal heat of an overactive mind/body; and the external heat of machines, devices, and commerce. Once again, we see the relationship between quantity and quality. When we have more than we need of something, we value it less. Kelly notices this relationship in the field of communications and media. In the world of Email, Twitter, and FaceBook, more communication does not lead to better communication. The sheer mass of messages dulls the senses and causes us to miss out on the few really meaningful opportunities to connect with other people. Kelly poses the question several times throughout the book: How many truly heartfelt conversations have I had in the last week? The last month? The last year?
Where and when did the present climate crisis begin? Scientists will point to a multitude of factors. The true origin, however, of the imbalance in our planet’s energies began with the imbalance within the human body and spirit. An overheated planet is directly related to an overheated human population. Of all the strategies for addressing climate change, recovering our own internal balance of Yin and Yang is perhaps the most fundamental. Kelly’s writing provides an encouraging place to begin this process. More detailed and complex practical strategies will, of course, be necessary but our ability to discern which are appropriate for us as individuals will depend on our inner wisdom and balance.
The Tao is always working to bring balance and its restorative power is even now beginning to tip the entire planet back into a “cooling” phase. This does not imply that individual action is not important. Every step we take to reduce our own excess “heat” of consumption, excess, and frantic dedication to more and more will be important – both for us and for the planet. But, Kelly clearly points out that the main energy needed from us is cooperation rather than struggle. There is great opportunity in the climate crisis; opportunity to rediscover the spiritual essence of humanity and enter a new paradigm of relationship with the natural world.
If you are looking for a way to transform your fear, frustration, and outright outrage about the direction of our society into helpful, peaceful, and cooperative action, You will find this thoughtful book a very worthwhile place to begin.
Blessings,
Bill
You can purchase the book at most booksellers and also through Brendan’s website at This Link
December 31, 2016
It’s been said before
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can not hallow — this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863
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When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government.
IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America
