Change Is Certain:
Bending and adapting to change will assist us in letting go of attachment.
Late October of 2005 hurricane Wilma made her presence known in South Florida. I remember it clearly because South Florida was my home for 27 years of my life before making Thailand my next adventure.
I lived in an apartment complex at the time, and their unique selling point was all of the trees that grew within the complex. There were a great many oak trees there with a good amount of palm trees sporadically peppered throughout the landscape as well.
Hurricane Wilma forced them to modify their brochure with one single pass over their real estate investment, and forever changing the landscape.
Being a bit foolish, and having little respect for the wrath of Mother Nature, I joined equally foolish neighbors in some outside antics that a rational person would think twice about.
Have you ever been outside with wind speeds over 125 mph?
It is a unique experience that was fun and exciting. It created a memory worth remembering, and an experience worth sharing.
The wind was blowing so hard you could barely stand up outside. It was fun to lean into the wind trying to hit the ground, but the wind would easily hold you up. We also jumped up in the air to see how far away the wind would blow us, all in good fun.
The mighty oak trees stood strong, and stoutly resisted the winds pressure to bend. The mightier winds of Wilma proved to be too much for the arrogant oak trees with delusions of grandeur to endure.
As we were enjoying our fun in the wind, we could hear loud snapping noises followed by large branches crashing down all around us with a big thud. Luckily nobody was hurt.
Between gravity’s pull, and the storms 125 mph blowing wind, a tree limb as big around as a large coffee cup and nearly two meters long hitting us would have definitely left a mark.
The next day I walked around to survey the damage. It looked like a bomb went off. There were many tree limbs laying all over the ground. Some cars were damaged by the falling tree branches as well.
Eventually cleanup crews came to clear all of the debris and dispose of it. When it was all cleared the landscape had completely changed. Nearly every oak tree was heavily damaged, but nearly every palm tree still stood tall and unblemished.
This experience created a great analogy for life.
Those who fight to resist change, and new circumstances will be broken down, and their clinging to the past will be discarded. Those who accept change, and adapt to change will continue to stand strong, and continue to grow.
All things are impermanent. It doesn’t matter how much we cling to things, or want them to remain the same forever, one small event beyond our control can change everything.
Our clinging to things will only bring us suffering, Dukkha, when The Law Of Impermanence removes them from our experience. We must accept change as inevitable.
Those close to us will grow old, and pass away. Our most cherished items will deteriorate, and no longer remain useful to us. Things will get broken, and stolen from us as well.
Do not resist change, bend and adapt to it. Roll with the changes, and you will continue to stand tall, and grow.
Let go of the past, and don’t worry about the future.
Be mindful of the present, and happy in the now.
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