Metaphors To Live By

In attempting to write this topic down, I suddenly come face to face with the dreaded writer's block. My head goes blank. I thought of this topic this morning as I was doing the morning's chores. Then my head was full of ideas, coming out unbidden, but as usual, I did not jot the ideas down and now I cannot remember them. It is a familiar pattern.

Later ...

PRISON as a metaphor of life

If we see life as a prison, then whatever circumstances you are in, it can't be as bad as a real prison unless you are really incarcerated in one! That ought to cheer you up if needed be, and who doesn't from time to time. Think of worse scenarios and count your blessings, however small. This little self-deception always works for me.

Life as an ADVENTURE or OBSTACLE Course

Don't resent the adversities, big or small, laid in your path. Look upon them as tests or challenges to overcome and opportunities for growth and advancement. Then say your thanks.

Evil as Creation's necessary SHADOW or ALTER EGO

Evil is an impersonal accompaniment of nature's work; it takes no sides, it is random, it is not subject to rules of natural or even poetic justice; it is not meted out to the bad and prevented from the good. It is impartial and detached. No need for us to romanticize or use it as a means of persuasion or manipulation. It is a reality written into our read only collective memory.

What to do? Deal with it conscientiously, mindfully, minimize its effects, exercise damage control, don't give in to its urgings. Therein lies your opportunity for maturity and spiritual growth.

The COMPUTER as a Metaphor of the Mind,
The Mind as a Metaphor of God,
The UNIVERSE as the Body of God,
Nature as a Metaphor of God's Work,
Death as a Tunnel underneath the Berlin Wall thru which you wrangle an escape from East to West ...

BUDDHA as a Metaphor for the Found Pool of Calmness and Understanding Within You

The historical Siddharta Gautama is not the only Buddha. There are millions of unnamed buddhas before and now. He or she can be the person you just met. In fact you may be a buddha too, actualized or potential.

Buddhahood is not so much a religion as a state of mind though one tradition has evolved into a religion called Buddhism, the world's third largest after Christianity and Islam. Among eastern religions making inroads in the West, Buddhism is the most popular.