Post by ruth on Aug 22, 2008 17:44:28 GMT
What comes to your mind when you think of a rite of passage?
Pause for a moment and consider some initiations you have been through or witnessed. Starting school, falling in love, giving birth, a child’s first tooth, a teenager’s new driver’s license, the death of a parent: even in a secular society, many transitions are acknowledged, sometimes by ceremony and sometimes simply as a strong understanding between people who share an experience.
But if we look only at these recognizable moments, we miss the importance of much of the waxing and waning of our days. In her new book, Being with Dying, Roshi Joan Halifax writes that “often we take part in rites of passage without being aware of what we are doing, or without having the transition and its shifts in consciousness acknowledged by our culture. Long, sleepless hours, high pressure, and the presence of suffering, death, and the mysterious unknown are ingredients in such rites”:
“Our society does not view catastrophe as a passage.” If you lost a job, or if you are holding on to one because you do not know where to go next; if you are suffering along with an alcoholic family member or facing your own addictions; if your creativity seems blocked; if there’s a loss in your life which you feel you cannot move beyond – all these things and many more can be passages, even if not recognized by many around us.
Passages to what? If we knew, it might be easier to arrive safe and sound, but we can begin to find out by asking what qualities we need to meet our present challenges. Some possibilities might be gratefulness, generosity, or courage, as Br. David touches upon in this heart-stirring pledge.
“Waking up to opportunities” can happen in a sudden, life-changing flash. Often, though, it happens little by little, so that we can only see the changes we’ve been through in retrospect. Staying centered during each portion of each day can help nurture this process.
www.gratefulness.org/readings/dsr_pledge_gl.htm
Pause for a moment and consider some initiations you have been through or witnessed. Starting school, falling in love, giving birth, a child’s first tooth, a teenager’s new driver’s license, the death of a parent: even in a secular society, many transitions are acknowledged, sometimes by ceremony and sometimes simply as a strong understanding between people who share an experience.
But if we look only at these recognizable moments, we miss the importance of much of the waxing and waning of our days. In her new book, Being with Dying, Roshi Joan Halifax writes that “often we take part in rites of passage without being aware of what we are doing, or without having the transition and its shifts in consciousness acknowledged by our culture. Long, sleepless hours, high pressure, and the presence of suffering, death, and the mysterious unknown are ingredients in such rites”:
“Our society does not view catastrophe as a passage.” If you lost a job, or if you are holding on to one because you do not know where to go next; if you are suffering along with an alcoholic family member or facing your own addictions; if your creativity seems blocked; if there’s a loss in your life which you feel you cannot move beyond – all these things and many more can be passages, even if not recognized by many around us.
Passages to what? If we knew, it might be easier to arrive safe and sound, but we can begin to find out by asking what qualities we need to meet our present challenges. Some possibilities might be gratefulness, generosity, or courage, as Br. David touches upon in this heart-stirring pledge.
“Waking up to opportunities” can happen in a sudden, life-changing flash. Often, though, it happens little by little, so that we can only see the changes we’ve been through in retrospect. Staying centered during each portion of each day can help nurture this process.
www.gratefulness.org/readings/dsr_pledge_gl.htm