Through Adversity

A friend of mine once told me, "adversity is the ladder we will sometimes climb, that can lead us towards spiritual improvement." I've been thinking about that a lot lately. I've had some real challenges in my life, especially in the area of work. Sometimes the expectations of me are so high, that I have to remind people that "I couldn't recall the last time that I was able to part the red sea."

Despite everything that has been going on, the center point for me is Zen. When I feel as though I've lost my life balance, I come back to the basics. I listen to teisho's by Genjo Marinello Roshi, MRO, old books that have proven to be good friends and the like. The reason that I do this is that when my mind radiates with sadness, frustration or pain, it can become like an echo chamber and I use positive input as a counter-weight. That keeps me from floundering mentally and emotionally.

With Zen practice in Mind, not only can it be a ladder that we use to move towards physical, mental and spiritual improvement, it will ensure that our ladder is leaning against the correct wall. I can definitely make myself available to that notion.

Paradox, humor and change

Jaye Morris, Curator
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