Cornered By Circumstance
Wednesday, December 16, 2009 at 6:12AM As I was driving to work on Monday, thinking about some things that I needed to accomplish this week, I received an email from my office. A key person had in our office had been at home, gotten injured and I was retasked to manage their job responsibilities. Knowing the twists, turns, difficulties and nuances of what I was driving into, my mind settled on a key principle. Fortitude.
The reason why fortitude was going to be important was that I knew I would not be able to drop my own job responsibilities and I was going to have to find a way to balance things. I knew I was about to encounter an avalanche. I was wondering what I would use as my shovel.
By the end of the day - Monday, it was clear to me that the avalanche was expanding. The person wouldn't be coming back to work till Thursday. It was going to be a difficult moment. My bodies response was a migraine before I opened my eyes. That was my bodies way of saying..., "You're going to need to find a way to harmonize with a situation that is difficult."
In responding, I took my migraine medication and then looked to gain my footing and center my mind. As I mindfully inhaled and exhaled, I considered what was most important. It was simply the breath that I was taking and the willingness to meet the challenge, by a motivation to simply help others. Nothing fancy.
Today, I remain in the midst of the challenges, still feeling very squeezed by the circumstances. There is no doubt... the tasks are daunting. But it's in difficult moments, we can rise to meet the moment and learn something new about ourselves.
My mind has reflected back to the koan of "Man up a tree," that I mentioned last week. A person is hanging from the top of a tree, gripping the branch with only their teeth. A person comes to the bottom of the tree asking, "What is the meaning of Bodhidharma's coming from the West. If you fail to answer, you evade your responsibilities. If you open your mouth to answer, you fall to your death. Choose." It's true that "The spiritual life doesn't protect us from having to make difficult choices." It's right here. It's right now.
In finding ourselves up a tree, Corned by circumstance, You and I can only answer with our life. Our effort is to answer without mumbling. To be the true answer, it must be clear and distinct. We'll see how today goes... our life is still unfolding. We are still dissolving This. And that is okay.
Your In Zen,
Jaye Seiho Morris, Curator
digitalZENDO
Reader Comments (2)
Wow! I am amazed you had time, still, to write this post . . . When faced with similar situations, I have found it even more important to just live in the moment, for that is really all one can handle. Fortitude yes, and faith, and heightened mindfulness. May you make it through tomorrow, still sane, and your mind and heart not too weary.
May you be at peace, and at ease, amidst the activity.
marguerite
But in writing and finding this way to share time with you and others... I take the opportunity to befriend and tend to my heart-mind. In this way, I have a better chance to give authentically, from the heart of being. I am choosing...