Food For Thought - "Eye Of The Hurricane"

"Eye Of The Hurricane"
C2002 Gail Pursell Elliott
 

“We must maintain great stillness of mind, even in the midst of our struggles...
A comparison with the sea may help us. A tranquil sea allows the fisherman to
gaze right to its depths. No fish can hide there and escape his sight. The
stormy sea, however, becomes murky when it is agitated by the winds. The very
depths that it revealed in its placidness, the sea now hides. The skills of the
fisherman are useless.”
- St Diadochus, "Treatise on Spiritual Perfection"

Hurricanes are awesome storms. On a doppler weather map you can see the
swirling arms of wind and rain moving around the center. If you have ever
experienced a hurricane first hand you know of the ferocious beauty that can be
so destructive.

Yet right at the center of this huge cyclone there is something that is referred
to as the “eye.” In the eye of the hurricane the sun in shining, the winds are
calm. It is beautiful and still as the storm rages and circles around it.

Sometimes the events of our lives can feel as if we are caught in a hurricane.
Circumstances beyond our control, that may appear frightening or powerful, may
obscure our perspective, damage what we have built, destroy our points of
reference.

Yet within each of us there is a calm center that cannot be touched by anything
that is around us. It is interesting that this center calm portion of the great
cyclone of a hurricane is called the “eye” for one of the qualities that staying
in the eye allows is the ability to see clearly.

If we want to remain in the eye of a hurricane then we cannot stay in one place.
We have to keep moving along with the storm and allow it to rage around us until
it spends itself. We may have to move through debris, or abandon our external
points of reference, leaving things that are familiar behind.

Staying in the eye does not mean that we ignore the route of the storm, but that
we move along with it and choose our position. Some of us choose to fight our
way through the storm or dig in our heels and refuse to be moved which allows
the storm to overtake and hit us directly. That is when we get caught up in the
storm itself and our vision and perspective, regardless of experience or
ability, may seem to fail us.

Maintaining stillness of mind in the midst of our struggles means that we
remember who we truly are and do not define ourselves in terms of external
circumstances. It means making a conscious effort to not take things
personally, which can cause us to attach our sense of self worth to the events
of our lives. It means keeping our inner power intact.

Most of the time we can no more control the situations that come into our lives
than we can control a hurricane. But we always can control our response, and
choose our position. We can either participate in or identify with the situation
itself or maintain our stillness of mind. We can get sucked into it, caught
up, or remain true to ourselves.

This can seem a difficult task because many of us first react to the emotional
content of what is happening. Response requires thought to gain insight and the
awareness to be able to reconnect with that calm center where vision is clear.

It is helpful to remember that no matter how fierce a storm can be or how much
damage it leaves in its wake, it does eventually dissipate. It is temporary.
After the storm has spun itself out, the area that was the eye remains. What
was peaceful, is still at peace. What was still is maintained. No matter how
large or ferocious the storm, this point within is always present. It can be
the constant in our lives regardless of how outer circumstances may change.

Have a Great Day and be good to yourself.  You deserve it!

Gail

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