"I am not a leader."

Times such as these leave us looking to leaders to guide us. We turn to someone with power or authority to tell us what we should do next. We look for others to show us which way to go. Who has the best map for dealing with this situation? Who is going to decide what the best course of action is? Who is going to figure this out and present a solution?

We may not see ourselves as that person. We don't have the position, the significance or the influence. We don't have a following to lead, or a group that is looking for us to make those decisions.

And yet...

Our actions have an effect in the world. The way we show up influences others. The way we talk to our family, coworkers and neighbors impacts the conversation. Our perceptions, judgements and ideas influence the outer course of our life.

The conduct of our body, speech and mind shapes our life, and the individual and collective are intimately intertwined to form the communities in which we live.

You may not see yourself as a leader, and yet you set the example of what you would like to see in the world. You may not be consciously setting that example and leading the course of your life with intention, but you are creating it nonetheless.

What do you want to do? Which way are you going to get there?

The wasteland.

Charnel grounds are a recurring theme and symbol that appear in many of the stories of meditation masters and great teachers of the past. It is said that great masters like Garab Dorje, Shri Singha and Padmasambhava all spent many years in charnel grounds after the nature of their own mind was revealed to them.

The charnel ground represents the wasteland that is the final result of this human life. The presence of death and loss cannot be overlooked or hidden. No matter how beautiful or meaningful the work that we have done in this life, no matter how much we have cherished our loved ones, all of us must go through this devastation and loss. The charnel ground also directly challenges this notion of the ego, the importance that we place on who we are and what we do.

The best solution to being in the charnel ground seems to be to get out of it. We want to get away and hide the whole thing. If we don't look at it and don't get too close, maybe it's not going to be there to torment us. Yet the actual solution comes from living fully in the charnel ground and using the resourcefulness of our own practice to dance with whatever is coming up in our experience.

You can be sure that when you feel like everything is falling apart and your world is turning into a charnel ground, you are being called to a deeper presence in the world.

Recognize that moment. Rediscover the ground of your renewal and resilience. That is the essential if you are to learn how to find complete resolution while living in the charnel ground. When you learn to skillfully work with the intense appearances of the charnel ground, you will find that it has become a pure land in which you can manifest your activity and accomplish your aims. 

Don't stir up trouble.

It is often easier to have a problem and figure out how to solve it
than it is to deal with the uncertainty of not knowing.

The trick is,
in times of uncertainty,
don't go stirring up problems
just to escape the uncertainty.

Grab a shovel.

Answers don't allow us to go deeper.  Questions do.

As we process and contemplate the information available to us (and it's all available to us), we need to learn to ask better questions.

Ask a question.  Find an answer. 

Answers give you a resting point, a place to contemplate and a ground to dig deeper.

Questions are the shovel that opens up space for further exploration.  Don't sit on your laurels, grab a shovel. 

Problem Solver.

What are the main problems in your life?

Stress.  Anxiety.  Health.  Money.  Love. Work.  Fear.  Busy.  Time.  People.

Normally we relate to our problems with aversion.  We believe, erroneously, that if we can get rid of all our problems then we will be happy and we can live the life we imagine.

What if we change that relationship?

What if instead of trying to avoid problems we sought to derive wisdom from them?

What is this problem, this person, this situation trying to teach me?  Am I willing to listen?  To learn?  How much am I contributing to this problem being a problem?

If we take our problems onto the path they become fuel for the fire of wisdom.  They become a catalyst for change and growth.

If we relate to problems in this way, the problem and the need for a solution fall away.  The notion of problems and solutions has been resolved in its own ground.  As you learn to carry wisdom as the path, listening deeply becomes your greatest asset.

Use it.

Wisdom wants to be shared.  Listen, and share it.  You don't need to be a sage to share wisdom, you simply need to look deeply into your own life and situation; listen, be patient and vulnerable, and be honest.

Problems present themselves as an opportunity for liberation, an opportunity for the sun of wisdom to breakthrough the darkness.

Don't worry, if you can't liberate the first problem that comes up more will always present themselves.