As some of you may know, Wayne S.’s meditation teacher, Tracy Cochran, is also an author who has published an excellent book entitled ‘Presence: The Art of Being at Home in Yourself’. We used an extract of her book in the post ‘How Meditation Can Move Us From Conscious Separation To Conscious Connection’.
Wayne passed along this short reflection from Tracy that she recently published for her meditation group. It seems an appropriate addition to the ‘We Agnostics’ reading we had earlier this week. – Bruce M.
What can we trust when we don’t know what to trust? Something deep inside us seeks guidance from another
“There are no atheists in foxholes.”
Once, I heard this famous aphorism discussed by a group of renowned “secular” and “scientific” Buddhist teachers and authors. They all agreed: In times of great danger and strife, all humans– even those who don’t “believe”–tend to reach out to a higher power.
We dwell in mystery. This great truth of our existence is experienced as wondrous at times–looking up at the night sky, marveling at the cosmos. But mostly the mystery is a torment. We feel so fragile and so ill prepared, shadowed by danger. We long to know, to feel safe, in good hands. What can we trust?
In times of trouble, even the atheists among us remember old prayers, scraps of verse–the language of our childhood, our DNA.
Our Father…Blessed are the Merciful…the Meek…or is it the Greek? We may not remember the words, and even if we do they may make no sense to us. We may strenuously object for very sound reasons.
Yet under it all, below the thinking mind, something inside us knows that there is a greater source of love and awareness to be found.
Let’s sit, meditate, and find it together.