“For far more than an hour I listened to the concert, to this natural melody. It was soft music, containing as well, all the discords of nature. And this is right, for nature is not only harmonious, she is also dreadfully contradictory and chaotic.”
“For far more than an hour I listened to the concert, to this natural melody. It was soft music, containing as well, all the discords of nature. And this is right, for nature is not only harmonious, she is also dreadfully contradictory and chaotic.” This is a taproot passage for me describing a mystical experience of Carl Jung in his autobiography, “Memories, Dreams, Reflections.”
Over 1.5 million homeless, and quite possibly 100,000 dead - the result of a cyclone that thrashed Burma this past weekend. I have been considering the spiritual realities and lessons of this unfathomable toll. One harsh truth intersects Jung’s observation. Nature is amoral. We westerners who live insulated and protected from nature have a tendency to romanticize it. Even a few mosquito and chigger bites can make bring that infatuation to a miserable itchy end.
As I continue to listen it becomes clear that there are more spiritual layers in the fabric of reality. The deadly impact of the Burma cyclone was likely worsened by the widespread degradation of mangrove forests that once protected coastal villages from tidal surges and strong winds.
Mangroves offer a double layer of protection against the pounding surf. Low red mangroves anchor themselves in mud flats along tidal estuaries, their flexible branches and tangled roots absorbing the sea's power. Behind them stand black mangroves as tall as trees. Scientists say they can also slow winds.
83% of the mangroves in the Irrawaddy delta have been destroyed since 1924. Their removal began with the British colonial authorities who encouraged rice cultivation in the delta, which was once known as the "rice bowl" of the world. Currently, the mangroves are being removed for shrimp and fish farms so Americans can enjoy cheap seafood.
“All things arise from the Tao. They are nourished by Virtue. Respect of Tao and honor of Virtue are not demanded, but they are in the nature of things. Therefore all things arise from the Tao. By Virtue they are nourished, developed, cared for, sheltered, comforted, grown and protected. Creating without claiming, doing without taking credit, guiding without interfering. This is the Primal Virtue.” 1
Thursday, The first two United Nations flights carrying relief supplies arrived in Burma after five days of excruciating delay during which the insular military junta resisted international offers of large-scale aid.
“The great Way is easy, yet people prefer the side paths. Be aware when things are out of balance. Stay centered within the Tao. When rich speculators prosper while farmers lose their land; when government officials spend money on weapons instead of cures; when the upper class is extravagant and irresponsible while the poor have nowhere to turn-all this is robbery and chaos. It is not in keeping with the Tao.” 2
The core of a spiritual ethic is to think cosmically, act locally. It is to get in the groove with the laws of nature, the Universal Isness. This alignment does not grant us a warranty for an idyllic pain free, tragedy insulated existence. But, it does spare us the self-inflicted wounds of being of out synch with the Tao.
“The Tao is like a well: used but never used up.
It is like the eternal void: filled with infinite possibilities. It is hidden but always present. I don't know who gave birth to it.
It is older than God.” 3