Holding On

Have you ever seen one of those movies where something bad happens that leaves the actor or actress having off of a cliff, out of a window or some other object? As human beings we all have experiences that can influence us in such a way that we feel like we are hanging off of a cliff. Psychological and emotional cliff hangers are inevitable. The real question is how to we hold on?

We I feel out of physiological and emotional fuel, upset, angry, exacerbated and get done with my internal or external temper tantrum, I always end up asking myself an important question. How do I not just hold on, but actually pull myself up over the cliffs edge to get back on solid ground.

My personal answer most recently comes from my Teacher. "Mu." He has said, us Mu to "grind, cut through, to combust and evaporate!" my challenges and problems. This has proven very helpful to me. But at other times I remember other encouraging words such as when Eido Roshi once said to me, "Give yourself to the Dharma and the Dharma will give Itself to you." Or I might say to myself, "Don't give up five minutes before the miracle happens." Or as Joel Osteen says, "Be a victor, not a victim."

No matter what I've used to hold on, I put my breathing about three inches below my belly button (I'm being serious), and repeat one of those phrases that I mentioned above. In my Mind, that is the only thing that I allow to exist. If I am fully concentrated, the divided mind ceases and I am able to recover the moment and act in such a way that fits the new moment. I'm no longer just hanging off the emotional or psychological edge, I'm enabled to "stop living in the problem and start living in the solution" as I like to say.

in our challenges, I can only encourage you to "Hold on," and find that "puddle of peace," that enables us to not just survive your life, but to thrive.

Hapiness,

Jaye Morris, Curator
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