Like a Ship Without a Sail
But I Know We Can Shake It
When a great ship is in harbor and moored, it is safe, there can be no doubt. But that is not what great ships are built for. - Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes
David Loy’s Eco Dharma is a great example of how contemplative skills and ways of being can be combined with social engagement for collective liberation. He and others have shown me that even though the ancients weren’t dealing with exactly what we’re dealing with today, much of their wisdom is universal and applicable.
When it comes to supporting activists with contemplative skills, we often first think of the practices that help people calm their nervous systems, take rest, savor what is pleasant, and improve self-care to increase resilience. Self-awareness and emotional regulation practices also come to mind for enhancing interpersonal relationships and communication within organizations and movements.
These benefits are palpable. But there is another benefit. We don’t always consider that contemplative skills can also offer a way to see ourselves, each other and our experiences more clearly so that we can make wise choices that reduce suffering.
One such piece of contemplative wisdom is the truth of interconnection. Taking this to a very concrete level, of course we’re individuals in some ways. Yet in many ways there’s no real separation between us. We share most of what is inside and outside of us. COVID-19 made us exquisitely aware that you are inhaling my exhaled air and vice versa. Measles knows no borders and “individual” choices have collective, sometimes deadly consequences. We impact and depend upon each other and this planet that we share in ways we don’t fully understand and we aren’t always conscious of. We ignore this at our collective peril.
Another is the truth of impermanence or the inevitability of change. Sometimes it happens slowly. Sometimes it happens head-spinningly quickly and all at once. But it's always happening. And we’re experiencing the consequences of a backlash against it. The climate is changing? Drill baby drill! Our demographics are changing? Build a wall!
Those in power strive to stay in power forever - to live eternally in an imaginary perpetual “golden age”. Many hope that amassing more material goods, wealth or power will protect them from all harm, or at least distract them from uncertainty, or delay inevitable decay and death.
Another is the truth of impersonality. As Thomas a Kempis taught, fundamentally “You are what you are” and nothing said or done to or by you can make it otherwise. Another way to put this is nothing is intrinsically existent in and of itself, but rather a collection of causes and conditions.
Still, disagreements around religion, politics, and immigration lead to suffering, conflict and war. Many of the things we believe make us distinct, such as borders and gender roles, are simply constructs. So, those who are most invested in them must keep reifying them to keep them alive and relevant. They may even resort to violence to enforce them.
These are just a few examples. When we aren’t aware of these basic “truths” or we fight against them, we cause great suffering for ourselves and others. When we accept them, they become a part of our worldview and the way we live our lives. We move through the world with greater compassion and ease.
National Mood? Pastor T.L. Barrett, Like a Ship
I have a couple of opportunities for contemplative practice in community upcoming I hope you might be able to join me for:
The rest of this post is behind a paywall as I delve further into the personal and the political. Do reach out and ask me to lend a hand if financial barriers prevent you from subscribing, but you’d really like to read on.
- Tracy