| On the road to enlightenment, don't forget to | | | | People make mistakes; animals evolve. We |
| laugh....... | | | | judge ourselves so harshly. Distinctions |
| | | | between right and are necessary in terms of |
| It's been called the " id" by Freud, and | | | | moral issues but they have no meaning when it |
| hedonism by zealots. In truth, the animal | | | | comes to trying new things. Yet when we make |
| self is the part of us that reacts naturally. | | | | a mistake we are often the first to notice |
| Labeling this limits our experience of it. | | | | and hope to God no one else does. Nobody |
| Still for the sake of reference I'll describe | | | | likes to feel humiliated. Most of us are |
| this very free, intrinsically joyful aspect | | | | concerned about looking foolish or feeling |
| of being as "animal." Animal encapsulates | | | | like we're on display to be laughed at. |
| it. The living world seeks out pleasure and | | | | Interestingly, feeling humiliated and being |
| avoids pain without fear of appearing lazy, | | | | humiliated are two separate matters. I once |
| foolish or greedy. The irony is that for | | | | watched a show called Pet Star, where an |
| many animals this creates productivity, | | | | anteater was called to perform an exceptional |
| dignity and unselfishness. By looking at | | | | feat: Climb up a ladder, eat from a bucket, |
| their actions from a spiritual rather than | | | | and climb back down. His trainer/owner |
| biological viewpoint we have a tool to | | | | watched anxiously as the scaly critter |
| unhinge ourselves from our hang-ups. | | | | ascended the metal stairs. There were a |
| | | | series of clunks on his journey as his tail |
| You otter play | | | | patted the ladder and a louder clunk when he |
| | | | reached the bucket. He had tipped it over. A |
| Almost all animals play and act silly when | | | | heap of berries and throngs of audience |
| young. Otters continue this into old age, | | | | members bore witness to shame. But it wasn't |
| making him a fun furry dude to be around. | | | | the anteater that cringed- it was the owner. |
| They romp, wrestle, snow slide, chase each | | | | The blushing young man proceeded to stammer |
| other and play catch-and-release with their | | | | out excuses for the creature, which by this |
| dinner. Most of us, myself include, are not | | | | time had climbed down and was happily eating |
| nearly so free spirited. For example, I | | | | his dinner off the stage floor. Under the |
| haven't tobogganed since I was eleven and my | | | | glaring stage lights that illuminated his |
| romping is confined to a spirited jog. I | | | | owner's red-face and sweaty brow, no change |
| could learn a lot from an otter. Most | | | | could be found in the anteater. He was intent |
| important: Play is good. | | | | on claiming his berry-delicious reward. |
| | | | Whether or not anyone was impressed didn't |
| Play is good. We forget this in our rush to | | | | matter. |
| achieve and amass. In the otter's game of | | | | |
| dinner lost-and-found he shows us that losing | | | | That anteater didn't catch any awards that |
| can be just as much fun as winning. This is | | | | day. He did, however, capture my heart. I |
| contrary to ego but so is spirit. In the | | | | remember what that anteater taught me: There |
| otter's dinner-game he loses lunch but finds | | | | are many mistakes on our way to victory, and |
| freedom: He doesn't need to eat if he doesn't | | | | others may have not feel we have earned it. |
| want to. Spiritual aspirants who fast for | | | | We can let this bother us, or like the |
| greater consciousness believe the same but | | | | anteater, we can dine on what we deserve. |
| have a lot less fun in the process. The otter | | | | |
| has a better idea. He relinquishes without | | | | Failure is relative |
| regret or strain. | | | | |
| | | | Though his efforts were obvious the anteater |
| Dances with spirit | | | | didn't perform as desired by others. The |
| | | | anteater dealt with this in a better way than |
| Play is one of the few ways we can lose | | | | most people. Unlike the anteater we try to |
| ourselves without trying. Caught in the | | | | interpret other's interpretation of us. This |
| moment we may realize a meditative type | | | | is agony for both inner peace and |
| bliss. Dance can feel like play but for some | | | | performance. When feeling like we've failed |
| it is meditation. The spontaneous spasms that | | | | we interpret every blink as shock and mouth |
| characterize ecstatic dance allow us to | | | | twitch as dismay. This creates the |
| express spirit with the body. When else can | | | | disappointment we fear. We can turn a stumble |
| we do this? Compared to ecstatic dance our | | | | into slapstick if we have the confidence of |
| movements are rigid as a robot's arm. When | | | | Chaplin. Similarly, a misplaced streak on a |
| did we become so reserved? Play and dance | | | | canvas can create abstract perfection if we |
| help us to become more spontaneous. For some | | | | desire. Either way we must persist. What if |
| this will be met with cheers. For others, and | | | | the anteater was to stop striving when |
| unfortunately, jeers. It takes courage to | | | | applause wasn't forthcoming? Motivated by the |
| march to the beat of a different drum. Yet in | | | | end result instead of appearances he |
| practicing courage we develop it. Dancing our | | | | continued. All he won was some berries, but |
| private dance in front of the marching crowd | | | | then again that's all he wanted. |
| is a challenge. | | | | |
| | | | Getting what you want |
| Besides unknotting our muscles, ecstatic | | | | |
| dance unties our mind. Though historically | | | | What is your heart's desire? If it doesn't |
| this practice has been thought to exist only | | | | seem important to others you may be told, or |
| among humans it seems that the otter, with | | | | may feel that your efforts are wasted. It's |
| his flipping and wriggling, would make a | | | | not. Nobody has the right to determine the |
| great ecstatic dancer. Unlike us he doesn't | | | | value of your dreams. This is between you and |
| wait for the music to start to move in a | | | | the Universal Source. As natural beings our |
| musical fashion. His body is free and | | | | desires are natural, and as long as they |
| expressive. He chooses to move with the | | | | don't harm anyone it is our divine right to |
| fluidity of waves rather than the rigidity of | | | | aspire to them. Whether you want |
| trees. We have the same choice. We don't have | | | | enlightenment, a BMW or the ideal vitamin |
| to jump in the water to enjoy this | | | | regimen your work will be rewarded. This is |
| experience. Mind-body exercises like pilates, | | | | providing that you keep trying. You may not |
| yoga and tai-chi cultivate this creative body | | | | get your prize in the way or at the time you |
| motion. | | | | first imagined, but it will come to you. Just |
| | | | remember to dance and play along the way. |
| Joyful errors | | | | This will make the journey a lot lighter. |
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