It is 2021 and if you zoom out, you will see that many of the historical difficulties have subsided and it is quite an extraordinary time to be alive. However, there is still work to be done.
But, in the midst of the macro abundance, we are squarely focused on the locality of the present-day obstacles. It feels as though the aperture and the shutter speed of our souls are inharmonious.
The light that is being allowed into your inner world is being drowned out by fear. The speed of the world is running at a pace that buries you. This cocktail of dimness and speed is causing a blur and folding you into wanting to get away from your own life.
If you want to be enlightened, if I may use that word, you must go further into your life, not away from it. I do not mean you need to be indulgent. Instead, train yourself to rest in elegant simplicity.
First, remember your basic goodness. You might be all tangled trying to improve yourself and fix everything about you. When you move, live, and work from your basic goodness you have little desire to manipulate reality. Rather, you are fearless and genuine. Then, when you remember your basic goodness, you can tend to the domestic gardens of your world. The people you see and interact with every day become practice grounds for strength, love, and equanimity. The home you live in no matter its decadence becomes a sacred space where energy is cultivated. The body that houses your soul becomes a vehicle that deserves compassionate attention.
With consistent training, these gardens bloom into something beyond greed, aggression, guilt, and shame.
The one who quietly takes on such a journey will never be reported. Such stories aren’t salacious enough to make headlines. But this is householder bushido. It is the way for the layman to most deeply impact society.