This article gives another perspective on possible outcomes from this pandemic, basically and end to globalization. Will this prediction be correct? When will the pandemic end? I don’t think anyone knows, and I think that is a good thing from a spiritual perspective.
One quality of what I will call an awakened mind is being able to hold differing or even opposing viewpoints in mind without needing to believe one over another. I think this pandemic is excellent for teaching us to do that. As humans, we have thoughts and beliefs, and we can’t do much about that, nor, in my opinion, should we. However, what we can do something about is our relationship with our thoughts.
When it comes to this pandemic, I think we all have what we would like to happen, and then we have what we believe will happen. We may find that if what we want to happen happens, it will be the best outcome for us. Conversely, we may be terrified of what we think will happen because we believe that it will be an adverse outcome for us.
It is this very kind of thinking that we want to wake up to and question. For on a spiritual path, it is precisely the moment when we believe we will be thrown to the wolfs that we can find our greatest salvation. How? Faith. Grace. Not that the future will be okay, that we are okay now. We can’t be okay in the future; we can only ever be okay right now.
-Douglas Johnson E-RYT 500, YACEP
In Zen, we have a saying, “where there is great doubt there is great faith.” In other words, it is only in those moments when we are in doubt that we have the opportunity to cultivate true faith. We don’t need faith when everything is going our way, and we believe we know things will work out. It is when things are darkest and the future most mysterious that we have an opportunity to have faith and open up to grace.
So please remember, you can’t open to grace in the future; you can only do it now, and it is in those moments when we are most afraid and in doubt that we can do that. So what are you waiting for?
