Intervention -5
Observing inside, everything seems normal. Several groupings of people are in conversation around their table. The large room allows for privacy, even when the voices escalate a little. Everyone else is so preoccupied they pay no attention. One or two people are solitary, sitting alone at the bar, and every once in a while are talking to the bartender, who listens attentively and sometimes makes suggestions. Looking closer it is clear that everyone seems fixated on their own process.
There are five different groups. One is composed of couples sharing the same table, but they pay little attention to the other couples. Holding hands, sometimes kissing, and rubbing shoulders, they are totally immersed. One couple after a brief kiss and deep look into one another’s eyes decide to leave the bar.
In another area, there is a heated discussion between three people, but none seem to be actually listening to the other. They get louder, call each other names, and slam on the table. Then there is a pause for just a second, until one of them stands up and curses the other two, then goes to sit at the bar.
At the bar, one of the solitary drinkers is pretty slouched by now, tries to stand, which is not done very well, but finally exits the Bar. The person who left the first table in a huff, tries to share the reason the others deserved being cursed at, but the one being shared with really does not want to be bothered, and moves to another stool at the bar.
The bartender is trying to keep everyone happy, or at least give them an idea of how to handle their behavior a little differently, but with little success. This is just another day in Sam and Sara's Bar.
Most think the suffering is coming from somewhere else, and earnestly blame others when talking to friends, who by the way often agree with them. The stimulus may come from somewhere else, but the suffering and the reinforcement of suffering comes from oneself. This is called the Cycle of Suffering.
There are five main reasons for suffering. Primarily ignorance is the culprit, but along with that are anger, pride, desire, and jealousy. They each have a remedy, but if not corrected, they become multiplied by any number of emotions affecting others, causing more suffering.
Actually, the above story is just a description of how life is lived by most of us earth dwellers. We love hard, get angry easily, blame others for what we are going through, and are often lonely. It is just the way life is in samsara, a Buddhist term referring to the cycles of suffering.
Shouting will let off steam, temporarily. Loving hard can ease our desire, temporarily, and getting a little drunk can dull the suffering mind, temporarily. But the only real change from suffering is the going deeper into the cause of the suffering and deciding to change the cause with the proper remedy.
Below are a few links to teachers from The AFRICAN WISDOM SUMMIT happening now, online, who direct programs in Yoga, Meditation, and/or counseling that are directly related to potential remedies for BIPOC and other communities. Check them out:
WWW. BLACKYOGATEACHERS.COM or INTENTIONAL MOVEMENT ASSEMBLY (on Facebook)
Book: WE WERE MADE FOR THESE TIMES by Kaira Jewel Lingo
(facebook) Alita Alston Toure
In Summary, dedicate the merit of tuning in:
At this very moment, for the peoples and the nations of the earth, not even the names disease, famine, war and suffering exist. Rather, may their moral conduct, merit, wealth and prosperity increase and may supreme good fortune and well-being always arise for them.
...............HH Jigdral Dudjom Rinpoche