Commentary by MARTI
A Student of life

FIVE STEPS TOWARDS LIBERATION

ACKNOWLEDGING TRUTH

The hunter will always tell the story until the lion tells his.

                                                                      --Chinua Achebe, Nigerian poet & writer

Truth depends on our perceptions of reality. In a collective sense, real truth is about confronting our shadows, embracing our evolution, facing what we have to learn in life and how we express this. Truth is not silent. Truth does not hide. It signposts our deeds, the consequences of our actions and how we treat ourselves and others. And it does this without collapsing into fear.

GRIEVING

               Life and death are only doors.

                                              --Rumi, Persian poet

Grieving is a natural and necessary part of life, whether we have lost a loved one, a close friend, an animal companion, a great tree or an ancient forest felled by those seeking selfish profits that destroy life and harm Mother Nature.

Indigenous cultures see death as a moment to give thanks to the universe for the experience of life and the privilege of being part of the natural world at this moment in time. And whether our stay on Planet Earth has been long or short, a peaceful journey or an unfortunate one, remembering that the Earth does not belong to us and that we are simply a part of her realm, is essential in understanding who we are. When those we love disappear, the story isn’t necessarily finished. The Lakota say:

              Those who have preceded us go ahead into the future. 

                                                                        --Tiokasin Ghosthorse, Cheyenne River Lakota                             

Whatever has happened in our lives, whomever and whatever has been lost, there is a moment of recollection, often sadness, perhaps a deep silence and a sense of loneliness that will almost inevitably invade our lives. Letting that feeling sink in is crucial, for we will be one step further in making sure that the loss is not in vain. As long as our loved ones remain in our memory, they are alive in our hearts. This is part of honoring the departed, especially our ancestors. 

Then finding closure is essential in moving forward. Ceremony, prayer, song, and chants are often a key to closing this chapter and beginning another. Indigenous warn against dwelling too much on what has happened and upon allowing ourselves to go into deep personal depression. We have a responsibility to ourselves and to our communities to move on. This means making a positive transition and doing our best to be of service to others. This takes away the pain and this is ultimately one of our responsibilities in life. 

FORGIVENESS 

                          I love you, I bless you, I forgive you, I release you.

                                                                                                 -- Universal Saying 

Forgiveness is one of the greatest forms of liberation that exists. Through forgiveness, we free ourselves from the impact of an event by understanding that we are part of something much bigger than our own lives. We may have been grievously harmed and have suffered great losses and injustice, but we have a responsibility, as well. It is ours to restore the natural balance in the universe and to bless everyone from friends to enemies, however devastating as this may seem. It is not about giving in, refusing to fight injustice. It is about understanding that we are a part of everything that exists, even the shadows of others. 

We will continue to be social and spiritual warriors, but through forgiveness, we release ourselves from a troubled mind. Through forgiveness, we will have minds that are clear as a deep lake in an isolated mountain valley. And then our lives and commitment take on a new and essential meaning.

UNDERSTANDING and RECONCILIATION

                    The only thing in life that is permanent is impermanence.

                                           --His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama 

When we hear the Earth crying and recognize that the Earth is a living being, we can move towards understanding and reconciliation. If our consciousness expands to contain not only our own life but the universe as a whole, our heart expands beyond the edges of space and the universe is, in turn, all embracing. We know then that, however long the journey, it has not been insignificant. This brings us to understand our oneness and reminds us of an essential paradox: that the only constant is change. 

We are all impermanent, everything is impermanent. As the sun expands, this fragile blue planet that we love so much will eventually fragment and be propelled into the darkest corners of the universe in a jumble of time-space continuums, dark matter, condensing black holes, and neutrino offspring. After all, we will be hurtling through space at the speed of light. 

BEING BLESSED, BEING GRATEFUL 

                               Life is precious, waste it wisely. 

Our greatest gift is awareness. Not only are we conscious, but we are conscious of our consciousness. This is our most difficult challenge as humans. With the possible exception of dolphins, we may be the only species on Earth endowed with this gift. 

But this consciousness is not a consolation. It is at the heart of evolution and make no mistake, evolution is fierce, uncompromising, and sometimes heartlessly terrifying. 

Even if we feel isolated and are deeply suffering, deeply bruised, every moment of sadness or joy, every act of impatience or kindness, every critical thought or casual daydream adds to the universe as a whole. And this is a reason to give thanks.  

Deep awareness is the key to our continued existence on this planet. It is the collective DNA for our never-ending evolution, not only in this world, but perhaps in other worlds, as well. When speaking of the departed, ancient Korean cosmology invites peace with this world. It speaks neither of the expectations of a paradise nor of a hell, but of the uncertain and mysterious gift of an < afterlife >. It summons us to cross a bridge, or in Vedic terms, to cross the water. Hidden in the mist, there is a shore on the other side. It is said that what lies beyond this Earth awaits our arrival and knows our true name.

As we look up at the stars at night and navigate the thick layers of dust beyond, perhaps a new adventure awaits us. In the gathering of stories, we will most certainly remember that we have never ever really been in control, that being right is an illusion, and that life, as we embrace it, is inherently and beautifully unpredictable and precious.

Obstacles are a natural part of everything in the universe. They rise up like the drumbeats of a hidden orchestra of excited crickets in a hot field of tall grass at dusk. They are nodes for expanding our consciousness. They remind us that the opposite of despair is not hope, but commitment, and this makes us stronger. 

Like the deafening roar of a tiger at close range, we have social, spiritual, and cosmic roles to play. For in the ultimate mathematical order of the universe, in the churning, spiraling astral seas of impossibility, everything is possible.