“Here I go again.”
-Whitesnake
And again, jumping into my canoe and paddling as hard as I can amidst the fierce waters. Waters that keep me moving along in powerful currents developed over many lifetimes.
Each of us comes into this world with slightly different karma canoes and different ways of responding to the tumultuous waters that affect our own personal journey. For example, if someone pushes me I might hit ‘em with my paddle, you might move over, someone else might paddle away, or another might make a joke about it. We’re locked in the oceanic waters of lifetimes with our itty-bitty canoes until our awareness heightens and we realize there are other ways to paddle – other ways to navigate the raging tides.
As we paddle around like mad we find ourselves moving in circles, sinking, or with incredible perseverance finding a way through it all. And once out of the chaos, we’re able to take some deep breaths and reflect on what just happened. With deepening inner reflections a new spiral of awareness dawns. Some might call these shifts in awareness enlightenment (Paramahansa Yogananda), others compassion (Dalai Lama), still others perspective, paradigms and possibilities (Professor William H. Schubert).
Right now our children are going along for the tumultuous ride, but soon they’ll be paddling like crazy too. Paddling along the intense tides of inequities – powerful warring voices of history fueling the turbulent waters of our times. Long histories of forged wars and imbedded prejudices - sometimes subtle, often painful, always powerful.
Some of us adults just don’t know how to get out of our crazed canoes to help – so locked are we in the frantic currents of our society, our schools, our cultures, ourselves – we feebly try to hand a child a paddle or two, but many of us are barely staying above water ourselves. In fact, some of us are sinking fast....help!
And here’s when watching children discovering life can be like being born again in one’s self. There’s hope, wonder, excitement, anticipation. To watch with loving eyes as they naturally question and laugh into the magnificence of this strange new world they popped into. As the societal walls and structures begin to build around their open and creative minds, your meditation practice can help a child witness the potential of a transcendent power within calmly navigating the changing currents of challenging times without.
For those adults sinking fast – have hope because there’s a child near you ready to buoy up your creative potential and help you shine forward in that seasoned canoe of yours too.
Dr. Joan Budilovsky’s latest book, “Sages of Young Ages,” is available now on Amazon.com and Yoyoga.com