Growing and Deepening
How not to let the world’s problems overwhelm you
Polemonium viscosum, or Sky Pilot, a Colorado wildflower growing in Northern New Mexico, grows above 11,000 feet in altitude. It likes rocky, moist soil. On my last hiking adventure to the summit of Mount Wheeler, I saw them in abundance. During mountain treks in Sierras some years past, a friend mentioned their rarity. We saw only 2 of them then. Not so rare here at altitude, I still consider it a rare find. Being in places where certain species are a find, a rarity gives my heart a happy jump. The world has shown me another marvel. Sky Pilot flowers look so delicate, purple with orange stamens, and yet they are so hardy as they wave in the 20 mile-an-hour winds that blast the side of the mountain. A flower that survives a winter being buried by snow and revives itself, gives me hope.
Just a week after sitting in retreat, separated from the world’s news, I’m already feeling blasted by the political winds that blow in this country. How can I become as resilient as the sky pilot flower? And then I heard the story of Avolakiteshwara, the deity of compassion. Avolakiteshwara decided she wanted to liberate all beings from the lower realms. After eons of saving beings and watching more fall into the hell realms, she said: if I ever become discouraged, may my body fall apart into a 1000 pieces. The Amitabha Buddha, who heard this, came down and remade Avolakiteshwara’s body; gave it 1000 arms, 1000 eyes and 11 heads. With this body, Avolakiteshwara could save many more beings in the lower realms. Avolakiteshwara’s significance is that her compassion doesn’t waver; she keeps on saving beings even though beings are innumerable. Maybe she’ll get to 47 and his cronies one of these days
Given current political winds, resilience inspired by Avalokiteshvara remains essential to persevere and reshape this world. Seeking refuge from political turmoil through retreat stops the work of helping others. The outcome is my self-care. By hiking to the top of Mount Wheeler, I build resilience and get inspired by nature, the Sky Pilot flower. On airplanes, they recommend putting on your own oxygen mask first, enabling you to help fellow passengers. I will divide my time between taking care of myself and helping others.
It gets harder as I age. My youthful energy has vanished. I end up taking care of myself more than taking care of others. I don’t have a thousand arms and eyes, or eleven heads, to figure out what to do about all the problems in the world. When I get to help or inspire others, my heart warms. Thus, I am focusing on quality instead of quantity. It’s okay that I have short bursts of helpful energy. Like the delicate flowers that bloom so briefly, I too am just such a flower among many. Here at high altitude, I notice that the flowers in my garden bloom brighter and shorter than in a more moderate climate. Spring wildflowers were sparse due to this year’s drought and extreme temperature shifts. When I hike, I realize nature isn’t always plentiful; This year the blossoms on the fruit trees froze in an late cold spell. The fruit trees will not bear fruit. The trees can put their energy into rebuilding themselves. Nature provided tree self-care.
It’s always good to zoom out; to get the bigger perspective when feeling overwhelmed. Compassion and caring manifest diversely, as Avalokiteshvara and the Sky Pilot flower showed me this week. One form is self-care. Another form is helping a neighbor, a friend. I helped a friend get lily cuttings for the temple pond. It was a hot day, and I didn’t mind stepping into another friend’s muddy pond. Lilies grow in mud. It felt good to use my strength to uproot big chunks out of the friend’s pond, hoist them into a big container with water from the pond. Water they were used to. Wheelbarrow everything to the car to deliver the lilies to their new home. Now the temple pond holds two pods of lilies. May they grow in the mud and share their blooms. Will these actions impact the bigger picture? Yes, I believe they do. Goodwill and sharing affect everyone involved positively. Five individuals expressed satisfaction regarding the lily’s distribution. The future pond will tell us how many visitors will be affected. Pond lilies (water lilies) universally symbolize purity, enlightenment, and rebirth because they rise from muddy waters to bloom flawlessly in the sun. They represent spiritual awakening, rising above adversity, and finding inner peace.
There are a few actions I’ve taken in my personal life that I can be proud of. I trust more opportunities for compassionate actions will present themselves. In the meantime, I’m prepping for a week-long backpacking trip in the San Pedro Mountains here in New Mexico. What will I learn? How resilient am I still? As long as I grow and discover, my aging journey is still a journey of becoming and deepening; my life holds promise. And that, my friends, is what life offers. My arms and eyes will tire. My head will diminish. But as long as I offer my body and mind to help improve the world, I am doing the best composting possible: building material for new things to grow.