lo
“The human mind (lo) is both the source and, properly directed, the solution to all our problems. Those who attain great learning but lack a good heart are in danger of falling prey to the anxieties and restlessness which result from desires incapable of fulfillment. Conversely, a genuine understanding of spiritual values has the opposite effect.” – HH The Dalai Lama
I’m driving home, headed west, the setting sunlight streaming into my sight and the day is simply: perfect. I didn’t try to make it perfect, nor did I expect it. I lived a good day and I let that satisfaction wash over me with the warmth of that light in that moment. It was invigorating. And I thanked the Universe. Dare I say, I thanked God and knew that it was a wonderful gift. I witnessed friendship, giving, reward, gratitude, and pure goodness. That is such a stark turn around for someone who was at death’s doorstep last October.
All I could see was darkness and despair, and I had given up on myself, isolating myself away from goodness and hope. That is why the Dalai Lama’s words ring true. I have been bouncing all around from doctrine to doctrine when it comes to religion. Back in 2004 I was REALLY, REALLY religious. I took up the combo faith practices of being a Buddhist-Catholic – which my family still does not understand. For me, it goes like this – it is all good. I love the Buddhist psychology. Mantras, Karma, and Meditation all work for me. I’m not too sold on the vegetarian thing – although I admire their reasons for it above all other reasons people go vegan. I feel like I could really benefit from a stay in some high-flung Tibetan monastery learning to connect with my mind at some super-calm, very in-tune way. And who doesn’t enjoy Buddhist art? The sand art in particular is quite amazing.
Then there is the Catholic side of my psyche that riddles me with guilt at even dabbling in the meditation classes that were held on the floor of a local temple with a big 15 foot golden Buddha statue. Yeah, that is a sin according to the ten commandments – I can’t remember which one. But there is something so powerful in praying a whole Rosary, feeling the floor shake from a monster-sized pipe organ, and witnessing three story tall stain-glassed windows light up like a kaleidoscope. I find the doctrine a little out of touch with time – I need sex and I am not married…so does that make me a sinner? Not that Buddhism permits wild swinger parties – I’d not go there if it did (although I have friends that might). I believe in God, in some existential power and consciousness above and beyond our human comprehension. I’ve been saved from a handful of instances where death was right there – I mean, broken neck, car accidents, plane crashes…there have been some downright life-threatening moments I’ve come away from, if only for the grace of God.
Yet, as that opening quote suggests, I file that gratitude away and drown myself away in the day to day grind. I succumb to the material world while forgetting the spiritual one. And then the strife hits and I’m sent reeling. So self-inflicted and so far away from a strong-hold in faith. So maybe it takes near misses and tragedy to slap me back to some soul-search mode. Or, maybe it can be a more pleasant experience, such as the perfect day, that allows me to pause, breathe deep, and remember that I am indeed not alone on some haphazard biological event, but rather a purpose-driven learning experience.
I was once asked a question in an interview about what the key to success was for an athlete I trained. The answer was so easy. I said, “he established a clear, attainable goal early on which turned into his mission statement each and every time he trained and/or competed. It was that mental connection to a purpose that carried him to success since no matter the ups and downs of the journey, he was always on track toward accomplishment.” None of that got printed like that, I’m far too loquacious for a newspaper.
If I can remember that this physical life is, in the end, a proving grounds for some sort of spiritual existence – than I can live with a very good goal in mind. And that is hard to do with the consumer-driving Western world swallowing up so much of my time. Do I unplug? Such a wild thought?! I’ve tried and barely made it three days. It is hard to strike a balance that allows the spiritual to grow and thrive in this day and age. It isn’t impossible, just complicated. That is why it is important to just try.
And in trying, I tap the spiritual Buddhist-Catholic of me…and my LO can smile.
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