“We are living a lie. We have our priorities completely upside down…” – Astronaut Ron Garan
- Insights Into Practices: The Overview Effect
- A Poem, by Rilke
- A Quote, How To Skillfully Work with Anger
- Half Day Meditation Retreat (Sunday, March 30th)
“Zen Is Meant To Destroy Your Common Sense”
– Shunryu Suzuki, Zen Teacher
Perhaps it is our “common sense” that has gotten us into this mess – in our leadership, politics, and our planet.
NASA astronaut Ron Garan spent 178 days aboard the International Space Station. Upon his return he said that from space Earth appears as an “iridescent biosphere teeming with life.” He was struck by the “unbelievable thinness of our planet’s atmosphere, which keeps every living thing on our planet alive.” Several astronauts have shared profound insights about viewing Earth from space, emphasizing its fragility and the interconnectedness of humanity
Garan went on to describe experiencing what is called the “Overview Effect,” a cognitive shift in awareness that many astronauts report.
“We’re living a lie,” he stated. “We have our priorities completely upside down by emphasizing economic systems over planetary wellbeing.”
Lies seem particularly popular right now. Lies are now being touted as truth, or as common sense:
– There is no climate change.
– We don’t have any issues (historically or currently) with racism and bias.
– Integrity, values, and morality don’t matter in leadership.
– Wise government is not possible.
– Capitalism doesn’t require regulations.
You don’t need to go to outer space to experience the beauty and fragility of our planet, of humanity, and of all of life. And you don’t need to go anywhere to see how so-called “common sense” is made up of greed, hatred, and delusion, lacking in honesty, transparency, and wisdom.
The overview effect in some way is simply washing away ego, turning away from greed and hatred, and seeing ourselves and our world with the eyes of reality, of care, love, truth, and wisdom. It provides perspective and puts truth and lies into greater clarity.
(A Leaf, Photo Taken In Mexico)
The Overview Effect is a type of awe experience, as described by scientist Dachner Keltner. In our podcast conversation Awe In Everyday Life, he describes the practice of seeing things fresh, as though for the first time. He says, “One of my favorite studies is we find that brief experiences of awe lead people to reduced polarization of their political opponents and less polarized debates over abortion or gun rights. What that means is awe is an antidote to polarizing conflict, which is one of our real social problems today.”
We can use more truth and perspective; less lies, and more courage to see and speak from a perspective of awe, clarity, and compassion.
Practices
Meditation – With each exhale let go of expecting anything, including another inhale. This is a practice from Shunryu Suzuki, from Zen Mind Beginner’s Mind. If there is another inhale, you might be surprised. “Oh, here I am, alive…”
Awe Walk – Experiment with seeing everything as though for the first time – trees, flowers, cars, clouds, other people, yourself.
A Poem, by Rainer Maria Rilke
I want to unfold
I don’t want to stay folded anywhere,
Because where I am folded, there I am a lie.
And I want my grasp of things
true before you. I want to describe myself
like a painting that I looked at
closely for a long time,
like a saying that I finally understood,
like the pitcher I use every day,
like the face of my mother,
like a ship
that took me safely
through the wildest storm of all.
A Favorite Quote (How To Work Skillfully With Our Anger)
“Our zazen (meditation) is a unique thing. We face the wall with an object. Still, many things rise in our consciousness. For example, I might think about an incident that made me angry, maybe yesterday. That event may be so powerful that no matter how many times I have tried to let go it still comes up. Actually, when I am sitting and facing the wall the incident is already over. It’s not reality anymore. But it continues in my consciousness as if it were real. During zazen I can see clearly that there’s no object, no person in front of me now. It’s an illusion, just energy that still remains from those seeds in my storehouse consciousness. So I let it go.”
– from The Mountains and Waters Sutra, Shohaku Okumura
Half-Day Meditation Retreat, Sunday, March 30th. (This Sunday.)
In person in Mill Valley and online. Open to anyone. Excellent way to get a taste of extended meditation practice with a supportive community.
Warmest regards,
Marc
