“Peace” from ceramic art by Dakan
The Highway Shaman Wisdom Reading
for June 27, 2020
Every morning since I arrived in Todos Santos, a little over three months ago, the morning skies have been blue. This morning the skies are cloudy, as if preparing for rain. In my morning meditation, I savored my blessings, being here, in a lovely home, in a gated compound, so far away from the virus and unrest in the United States. In Seattle, on my birthday at the end of January, I asked Spirit: should I be living in the US now? NO! Should I move to Mexico? YES!! The decision was made. A week later my sons were driving the 4Runner down here, so Dad would have a car, to help me get settled. I arrived on February 17th. From the moment I landed, I knew it was the best thing I could have done; Mexico was an awesome gift to myself. Today it feels right to relax in my SUCCESS. To savor it. To take the time to FOCUS on my well-being, and ride this stable and serene energy wave correctly. FOUR OF AIR says its a time to rest, to meditate, and be at peace. To count my blessings; to allow in greater focus and clarity, while in this calm valley, so even greater success will arrive. Today is my time to stop, look, listen, smell, hear; to fully take in the world of my creation, here in Todos Santos, Mexico. I write more about “being where we should be,” below:
THE READING
The Elements Tarot: FOCUS:
Centeredness, attentiveness. Ability to isolate awareness in order to perceive or evaluate information or energy.
REVERSED: Limited vision. Not seeing the whole of the process at work. Narrowness.
Osho Zen Tarot: 6 of Fire – SUCCESS:
Enjoy the peak while it lasts and then enjoy the valley when it comes. What is wrong with the valley? What is wrong with being low? It is a relaxation. A peak is an excitement, and nobody can exist continuously in an excitement.
“The greatest wisdom to keep in mind with all the phenomena in the parade of your life, whether they be valleys or peaks, is that ‘this too will pass.’ Celebrate, yes, and keep on riding the tiger.”
The Good Tarot: FOUR OF AIR: Healing, meditation, rest, recuperation.
“It’s time to rest my mind and allow peace to take the place of busyness and boredom. The mind needs quiet to think and find clarity. If I allow my mind to rest, I will have greater clarity and my mind will be sharpened. This is the time for a break. I need to take care of myself.”
WISDOM OF THE DAY
(from my book Zen Wisdom for the 21st Century)
When we step back and look at our life from a fresh perspective; from an open-minded overview of what we’re doing: our job, where we live, the stress of the struggle to “make it,” the relationships we’re in . . . we can ask, is this where I’m thriving? Is this where I’m encouraged, loved and supported, living an altruistic life?
Altruistic: unselfish, selfless, compassionate, kind, public-spirited; charitable, benevolent, beneficent, philanthropic, humanitarian; bounteous.
I read about a globetrotting high-level corporate executive who was robbed at gunpoint in her hotel room, and barely escaped with her life. At that moment she realized that all her achievements, her so-called success and wealth, wasn’t making her happy. Having escaped death, she had a second chance; a chance to choose a new life. She quit her corporate job and became a Buddhist nun in Bhutan, volunteering to help people in need. (altruistic) She wrote a book about how happy her life turned out to be.
We head down a path, maybe well thought out, or random, and we do what we need to do to get the job, get the promotions, meet the husband or wife, accumulate stuff, and then decide to hang in with it, the good and bad. After a while the head of truth starts popping up. Be honest. Tell the truth. I’m not all that happy. I’m not fulfilled. Maybe I could quit this life and choose another. Another job? Another town? Some time alone to learn to love myself?
This is when Courage checks in. Zen is about flowing with the river. But often we find ourselves stuck in the rapids of the wrong river. We get tired of fighting the current of that wrong river. This is when its time to ask,
Where should I be, to be, truly who I am?”
While the mind strives to make sense out of everything, Zen is the mindless, irrational; a non-sense “just do it,” make the right choice.
Standing on the cliff thirty feet above the pool, the “kids” are jumping and you’re thinking “no fucking way I’m jumping.”
Zen says, “Get out of your mind! JUMP!!!!”
Zen is the mindless jump into the unknown.
You don’t have to renounce your entire life. You can have a higher thought; to decide to do something you thoroughly enjoy. Right now. Today. Do what you love and happiness will follow.
In order to find your own inner success, your Divine Knowingness, you will need to journey into a realm of consciousness beyond what your parents expected of you, beyond society’s definition of success; to a place void of obeying others’ dogma and “should be/do” philosophies. A place to where you say, “Fuck it. This is where I want to be. This is what I want to be doing with my life. These are the people I want to be doing it with.” And so be it.
Letting go is your journey Home.