“But I know sometimes I must get out in the Light… with the kids, they're alright… The kids are Alright, the Kids Are…”
With all due respect to Nate on the far left’s right Feminine side, which didn’t make the pic, here are the Cool Kids who showed up for our Ceremonial Weekend overnight. I say Kids as a compliment, because this crew was the youngest, coolest, most fun group of individuals we’ve had out here this year. But well beyond their youth, this mini Sangha — a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community" — shared an inspiring devotion to the spiritual path. When we speak of the spiritual path we walk at The Higher Haven, we aren’t referencing a shared belief system, which is fine, which so many people the world over have drawn comfort and direction from since the beginning. Nor or we referencing some competitive set of principles that may have left Nate, Austo, Kitty, Madison, Matt, and Morgan (the three Moksha-teers) separated and judging one another’s experience of God or the Miracle that is Life.
Our world’s endless systems of belief considered — and respected — we certainly did connect with all that is good and best within us. And for many, including me, that’s getting in touch with or worshipping a super human commanding power. Or non-commanding and non-controlling, given our free will. I don’t tell these cool kids what to believe; I simply point out that what you believe in life is the software, and meditation is more the hardware, allowing one to access the logic and practical nature of one’s own spirituality and at the same time understand how science and certainly the natural world actually affirms rather than negates it. I could go on and on (like always!) but also always like hearing from retreat participants, who have their own empowered stories to tell. By the way, devotion to the spiritual path here has less to do with flowery, nice feelings, and more to do with being willing to struggle, to grope, and to confront one’s inner demons, in some traditions known as defects of character, sins, shortcomings or pitiable ways of behavior . “Enlightenment does not come by imagining figures of light”, in the words of Carl Jung as well as Matthew Jaworski, “But by making the darkness conscious. The latter procedure however is disagreeable and therefore unpopular,” disagreeable meaning unpleasant or not exactly to one’s liking.
That’s one of the teachings we touched on. Inspired by this group’s honesty and sincerity, we also considered the amazing fact that mankind may be evolving into a new form, perhaps one that will not deal with the difficult truth of impermanence, or death. So keep your minds-eye on young people like the dirty half-dozen above (said Heyoka-style). And definitely, definitely, be hyper aware of your own children, or all children, if, like me, you’re still a lone wolf without pups, as real-life, super powered X-Men, with no particular need to save the world, but who will do so out of love for mankind, take birth in the material world. Yep, freed by the weird pandemic pseudo oppression, we’re flying our Freak Flag high. If all that isn’t weird enough, consider that we sang a Ceremonial song this weekend that animals can actually understand and energetically connect with. And maybe in response to that song, later shared an exchange with a toad, not necessarily with the eyes in our head, but with the eyes of our heart. The toad, who is always a sign of good luck, but the kind that you must make your own, calling for action. Much like the story of the Frog Prince, the toad is a symbol of having to do something that you may not particularly like, (which we related to!) but also holds the promise of Living Happily Ever After. Knowing we’re well on our way with some miles to go before we sleep, we let the words of Shakespeare — and my Teacher Shinzen — encourage us, reminding us that, “Sweet are the uses of adversity. Which, like the Toad, ugly and venomous, wears yet a precious jewel in his head; And this our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in tress, books in the running brooks, Sermons in Stones, & Good in All Things.”
As to all things ugly and venomous yet precious and Good, the next Way of The Contrary Workshop, November 14th-15th, I’m unhappy to say is fairly full, so make it a long December 19th-20th, with Reason to Believe that maybe next year will be better than this last. Toksha