This self-published deck and booklet are the intellectual property of Beverly King. Please do not copy or reproduce these drawings or blog posts without permission.

Monday, May 28, 2018

Adverse Reactions

Photo by Jon Sachs

          In humans, contact with poison ivy often tricks our immune system into thinking our own skin cells are foreign, a reaction that results in an itchy, blistering rash. However, the plant has no ill effects on most wild or domesticated animals. Because of their immunity, several businesses have sprung up that employ goats for clearing such unwanted vegetation. Goats will readily eat poison ivy, including the seeds; none of the seeds are viable after being ground and digested. Although they don't consume the roots, goats used over an extended period will starve the plant of the energy it needs to survive. The added benefit of this goat-based form of brush control is that it avoids the use of herbicides. 
          Tolerance suggests allowing people to pursue their own understanding of truth within the boundaries of the common good ('do no harm'). The medical definition can add a spiritual lens to look through, seeing tolerance as the ability to endure exposure without an adverse reaction. Even when we don't react outwardly, we often react inwardly. Simply gritting our teeth while dealing with people who annoy us can twist us up inside like a tightly wound spring. Rather than stew in frustration, we can drop our agenda and be curious. Imagine what it would be like inside the mind and body of this person. What fears might be motivating them? Instead of judging them harshly, could we make a more charitable assumption based on their past or present suffering? The poet Robert W. Service wrote, "Be master of your petty annoyances and conserve your energies for the big, worthwhile things. It isn't the mountain ahead that wears you out - it's the grain of sand in your shoe."

For more information on tolerance, see this post. 

Monday, May 21, 2018

Searching for Nectar that Satisfies

Photo from National Geographic Kids

          What makes a garden desirable to a honey bee? These bees depend on pollen for most of their protein and nectar for carbohydrates in their diet. Single-flowered blooms (like daisies and marigolds) produce much more pollen and nectar than the showier double-flowered blooms (in which stamens have been transformed into extra petals). Hybridized plants aren’t as beneficial because they produce very little pollen or nectar. Honey bees are especially attracted to white, blue, yellow and violet blooms, as well as flowers with a shorter corolla (which makes it easier to reach the nectar). These bees will only visit a single type of flower on each trip from the hive (a trait known as ‘floral fidelity’), so they often seek out patches of identical flowers. 
          In Zen Buddhism, it is said that there are five desires: for food, for sex, for sleep, for comfort, and for reputation. These desires are natural and driven by our instinct to survive. Yet often these desires get mistakenly fused with a longing for happiness, and we become obsessed with them. This craving convinces us if we can just get this particular thing, life will be wonderful and perfect. Even when we do manage to get what was desired, we soon realize we’ve expended a lot of energy for a short-lived pleasure. The sage Shantideva likened this behavior to an ox that pulls a heavy load for only a mouthful of hay. The solution to ending this cycle of suffering is not to eliminate our desires but to change our relationship to them. If we can see through the fantasy of ‘happy ever after,’ we can enjoy moments of pleasure without expectations. As Ezra Bayda explained, “happiness comes from the inside; it cannot depend on our external life circumstances. Nor can it depend on simply feeling good emotionally. In short, happiness doesn’t come from making happiness the goal – it comes from being able to appreciate the journey, particularly the present-moment experience of our life.”

For more information on contentment, see this post.

Monday, May 14, 2018

Resting without Resistance

Grackles - photo by Stephen J. Krasemann

          The common grackle is a large blackbird with bright yellow eyes and iridescent feathers that may have a purple, green or blue sheen. They tend to congregate in large, noisy groups and make calls that sound like rusty hinges on a gate. Grackles are opportunistic feeders and will eat almost anything they can find. They often frequent backyard feeders, where bird watchers can observe an interesting behavior known as bill tilting. The grackles will tilt their heads up and point their bills skyward. The more dominant the bird, the more upward is the tilt of the bill. According to Robert Flicken of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, this is an adaptive behavior in a species where there is close contact among individuals. The precision of their expression through such posturing serves to reduce aggressive fighting and stress.
          When we are impatient, we have become rigidly bound to our expectations. Whether we experience the pull of want or the push of aversion, the feeling is the same – restless irritation that quickly morphs into frustrated anger. Motivated by a strong desire to resolve this feeling, we react aggressively, which usually just escalates the situation. The practice of patience has nothing to do with the suppression of feelings or inaction. Rather, it is the recognition that there is a right time to act and a time to wait. It is the ability to relate to those waiting moments with kindness and gentleness. Patience allows everyone to relax, both the person practicing it and those around them. The pause of patience can give us the chance to look at the situation from another viewpoint other than our own. In the words of Gil Fronsdal, “It is the willingness to see deeply, without resistance, the truth of the moment.” The pause creates the opportunity for us to be mindful of our thoughts before we respond, allowing us to de-escalate our aggression both internally and externally.

For more information about patience, see this post.

Monday, May 7, 2018

Don't Know Mind

Venus flytrap - photo by Chris Mattison

          Adaptation is the process that helps living things change in order to survive in their environment. An example is the Venus flytrap. This plant from the subtropical wetlands of the Carolinas wasn’t always a carnivorous snap-trap. It was once a plant with somewhat sticky leaves that were intended to deter damage from insects. But in its native location, the soil was nutrient-poor. The insects which got stuck on its leaves contained nitrogen and phosphorus, and so the flytrap adapted its sticky enzymes to immobilize and digest the bugs. Yet the plant could not capture larger insects, and open leaves meant birds or other animals could steal their meal. Eventually, the Venus flytrap evolved trigger hairs, a closing trap with teeth, and quick movement to adjust and improve its chances of survival.
          Imagine gathering the grains of sand from all the beaches and deserts of the world together. If these grains signify all of the accurate knowledge in the universe, how many grains would represent our own individual knowledge? Perhaps one grain? This analogy is similar to the Zen teaching of ‘Don’t Know Mind,’ the realization that no matter how much we know, there is infinitely more we don’t. Don’t Know Mind frees us from our limited, stale ideas and concepts; it includes all the potential wisdom contained in the universe. We can cease our intellectual contortions and stay open to other possibilities. This state of being curious and teachable should be distinguished from doubt and confusion, which cloud rather than clarify. It doesn’t require that we discard what we know and suspend our questions and interpretations. As Gil Fronsdal explained, “Not-knowing means not being limited by what we know, holding what we know lightly so that we are ready for it to be different.” This type of open-mindedness can help us adjust and evolve in a world of uncertainty.

For more information on open-mindedness, see this post.