In this time of great fear and uncertainty, we all recognize that what is happening now is not limited to any one country, nationality, race, or religion. This is a global event, and is an equalizer. We need to find new ways of being in the world, as one.
For now, many of us are in retreat.
The word retreat has several meanings. It can mean withdrawing from what is difficult, dangerous, or disagreeable.
But in spiritual traditions, a retreat is a time of voluntarily going inward, distancing physically from others in order to meditate, study, or pray.
We may have started out going into retreat because of the first meaning. But now we can choose to be in retreat to go within, to listen, to awaken to something deeper.
As a species, we humans often want to be in control, and try to exert control over the natural world. Now the natural world is forcing us to be humble, is taming us, taming our egos.>
This lack of control can bring up a lot of fear. How do we deal with this fear of the unknown—fear of losing control?
Fear is a natural part of being human, but it can become overwhelming when it takes over on a global level. Fear can destroy our ability to function and can paralyze us, or make us act in unreasonable ways.
Humans have tried to exert control over the natural world for a very long time, and the earth has suffered from our constant travel and bombardment of toxins, by wars, by our disregard for its well being, and our own. We are part of the natural world, and have injured ourselves through forgetting that all living beings, including mother earth, are interconnected.
Maybe we need to use this time to breathe more, feel more, listen more to the source of our inner wisdom, to become more aware of the inner presence of our bodies, to connect with ourselves and recognize the connection of all beings who live on earth.
Perhaps we can see it an opportunity to awaken to a new way of being in the world. After all, we are all in this together.
“We can try to make this moment as a special moment, a sacred moment. If we can open to the fear, acknowledge its presence and send love to it, perhaps we can work to transform it into a door to realize something. Only by opening to it can we learn what it wishes to teach us. Fighting it will only make it worse. But if we allow ourselves to grow closer to it with compassion, and send love and support, greet it with warmth, the fear can dissolve into this warmth.—Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche
Here is a brief meditation: