Light & Shadow

Posted by on Nov 13, 2016 in Catherine Ann Jones, Catherine's Blog

Esalen sunset and whale

Many of us are stunned by the recent campaign and presidential election results. And, inevitably, there is a strong pull to enter the darker side and succumb to fear, hate, and even some kind of violence. When structures outlive their use, they will turn to shadow and destruct, allowing eventually for the new to come. For the time, it appears that the shadow is victorious. However, I feel that it is vital not to follow the dark way but rather to center, detach, and consider a more productive response.

I am reminded of an interview some years ago with the BBC and a young Tibetan monk who had witnessed his fellow monks murdered by the Chinese and his sacred temple destroyed. When asked what his response was to the invading Chinese, the young monk replied, “I am sorry for them and the bad karma they are creating for themselves. Ignorance is the real enemy.”

Of course, as Westerners and Americans, we must act. A greater result will arise from those who center, consider, then find a suitable means to react.

As a writer of story and a teacher of writing, I believe in the power of story. Many years ago, a great sage in south India, once told me, “How can you fear a world you create at each and every moment of your life?” What is the story or vision we seek for ourselves, our country, and our world?

Pause. Center, visualize a better world with better leaders then the momentum will build in a deeper, more intelligent way, and in two years or four years, we will overcome.

Herald

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