In class yesterday, David-ji said something that my former self would have had a hard time accepting, that is "faith may be more important than skill". He spoke about how the Wright brothers were not the only ones attempting to fly. There were many other people at that time, some with huge financial backing, and yet the two brothers were the ones who made it happen. What was so special about them? All they had was their paper maches, David-ji joked. But perhaps they had a lot of faith. Sharon-ji added that it is a lot like Jivamukti Yoga, where they started with nothing more than faith. And a lot of paper maches. Today in class, Sharon-ji led us to the forest of the Wild Woodstock Jivamukti Sanctuary. We honored the grandmother oak tree by chanting and offering our energy. I took a few moments to look at the enormity of this tree, not just in size but in her age and wisdom, older than anyone I know, and tougher than anyone I met. When I looked up at the tree, I saw light peaking through the intricate patterns of leaves. And I think it is a metaphor for living life with wisdom. To survive, to thrive, to live and age with grace, we have to lift our chin up and seek the light. We have to see the complexity of patterns for what they are, but also know that there is brightness behind them. Believing that there is light beyond what we immediately see is faith. We all have different roles to play in this life, and I think the right role gives us the tools we need. We may be filled with doubts or judgments or challenges. We may feel insecure or inadequate or unprepared. We may not know where to get the money or resources, how to acquire the skills or hone the talents. And yet I genuinely believe that the right role for each and every one of us will speak so loudly that we cannot ignore it, that the certainty of it being our path is not in our expertise or perfection but in our desire to try, even at the risk of failure. Our path, and that which may define who we are and what our place in the world is, is that which gives us an intuitive grounding, an inner wisdom telling us we are about to arrive at a place that feels like home. And perhaps, just perhaps, all we need too are faith and paper maches.
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March 2020
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