In the field of biomimicry nature’s systems are studied and imitated in order to solve problems we are dealing with in our human realm. In nature, the gossamer threads of mycelium that cover the earth are strong, not because they are large, dominating and threatening, but because they are pervasive and adaptive. They move quietly through the ground under out feet supporting the land. They serve as highways for communication between plants, remaining invisibly underground while sending up emissaries in the form of mushrooms. Micellium are decentralized and do not draw attention to themselves. As we are now facing a breakdown of society we can learn how to form strong, resilient societies from mycilium, one neighbor at a time.
Today it is revolutionary to care, to love, to feel joy. Sometimes we may feel ashamed to express joy when so many are suffering terribly. When asked if it was OK to be happy when there’s so much suffering happening, Roshi Bernie Glassman said, “I think it’s a requirement to be full of joy in the midst of suffering”. He talked about how Wavy Gravy, friend of the Grateful Dead, has a manuscript of humor written by inmates in Auschwitz. If inmates in Auschwitz and find humor I believe we can also.
In this age of anxiety as we witness a crisis of selfishness, cruelty and lack of regard for the well-being of others unfold before our eyes, often feeling helpless to stop it, we need to find ways to soothe ourselves. We soothe ourselves, not to turn our backs on the suffering, but to replenish our reserve of hope in the basic goodness of life so that we can continue to advocate for love. We are being challenged to bring our best selves to the task and to never give up. In the words of John Lewis, “Be hopeful. Be optimistic. Never lose that sense of hope.” In order to do this we need to continually replenish our reserves.
This month I’d like to share the simple words of Mary Oliver with you. These are my practice words when I loose my grounding:
Instructions for Living a Life
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.
The picture above is by Chiura Obata, one of my favorite artists. Chiura Obata was a Japanese American artist teaching in Berkeley California in the 1940’s. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor Japanese citizens were rounded up and sent to internment camps. Innocent citizens became the face of an enemy threatening our life and values, not unlike how the new immigrants are being targeted now. While at the internment camp Obata developed an art school for his fellow detainees and painted over 200 brilliant paintings. He used art to his lift the spirits of his people reminding them of the beauty of their culture and applying the natural world to their wounds.
I’m on board with the realization that everything that is living dies, that all things and thoughts have their life span and then pass. But the empty space left when someone we love is no longer there, someone we will never see again, is not something I can grasp with my mind.
