One day I got some Chinese herbs, and the herbalist was commenting that according to Taoism when times of turmoil, uncertainty, and chaos prevail in the external world, it is important for us not to be drawn into that...but to retreat into the center of ourselves and refine our nature. We have an unparalleled opportunity during conflict to do this when we aren’t polarized by life events.
As we watch many things in our world going through upheaval right now, I believe there is something much grander at work, and my own discomfort and distress is because I cannot see the bigger picture. The uncertainty of this moment is the fodder for something yet to come, and because I'm living in a finite body, I want my projected images of peace, stability, and a healthy world to happen now...but I only have a lifespan of 60-80 years in which to see it flower. That may not match universal timing, so I need to trust that everything is moving as it should, and also realize that new birth often involves pain. In addition, when this body is shed that I identify with now, the “I” that I really am will continue. So there need be no frustration, no despair, and no depression at lack of momentary resolution. That is only my limited viewpoint wailing.
Understanding this helps me to trust in life during times that appear hopeless or confusing, and it makes me aware of what our parents and grandparents had to endure during the plague of 1918, the depression of the 1930’s, and the horrors of WWII. From our vantage point now those events seem surreal. Yet, the people who survived were strengthened, and the world changed in ways that allowed for new growth. Once again we are faced with major challenges - another cycle to propel us to new possibilities.
We have character building times ahead. As we heed the concept of going within to refine ourselves, we can ride through the storms that appear and be ready for the opportunities that emerge. Winter comes…it always comes; yet indeed, Spring always follows!