With These Forced Thoughts, I Prithee, Darken Not The Mirth o' the Feast.

If life seems unfulfilling, the fulfilment is in that disappointment. If there is suffering, know that the suffering itself is not "wrong", only judged to be uncomfortable.  If the judgement is final and harsh, and the suffering is of a child abused or an innocent tortured, the despair and pain itself are what life is, right here, right now; and however Job-like the story seems to be, however unbalanced and unfair and intolerable, there is balance and justice and harmony in the same moment.  There are individuals whose unfolding story will be about eradicating such injustice, and rescuing the sufferer.  To be the child whose painful life is cut short by hunger is to have the privileged role of inciting another's story to altruistic action.  It is all here, it is always now, and the possibilities of life manifest are endless.

Within those possibilities is the vision of a world that runs efficiently, and where fewer actions are based upon the base fears of survival.  By all means, if this vision is alive for you and the plight of others seems intolerable, take whatever actions necessary to relieve some of the world's inequalities.  Give generously, travel to where help is needed most, and provide what help is possible.  Try not to worry that there will always be identities that, through fear, will seek to profit at the expense of others.  If there is balance, and there is good, there is evil: life cannot appear without this duality, although perhaps evil can be contained and reorganised.

Life appears as it is, neutrally, unheeding of man's inhumanity to man, merely appearing thus.  To let go of the need to change whatever is, is to make change more likely in the story that unfolds.  To stop listening to the thoughts and judgements and categorisations that always arise in the mind is to be free to do anything at all without the identity being validated, or not, by that action.  A certain natural acceptance can creep into the unfolding story, and this includes the acceptance of strong urges to change the story into what is usually judged "better".  The goal is not to be either without goals or to have only noble ones.  The goal is not to accept unconditionally all that seems to be.  This is the goal, whatever this is, however it is judged.  It is impossible to get it wrong.



I thought I'd better slip this clip in quickly whilst the holiday season is still upon this.  When the kids and I watch this film I weep freely throughout, still jangling along with loads of apparent conditioning to value life.  This is my favourite moment from the film, which makes clear the butterfly effect; everything unfolds just as it's meant to, and messing with it can certainly change the story!  Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Lohri, and have a great Nirvana Day.