In this world, and on this path, there’s a deep trust that’s asked of us. – Jack Kornfield
Black Elk, a great medicine man of his people, once had a life-inspiring vision on Harney Peak about the circle of existence. He saw how his people would come together again, living in harmony as they had before. So, nearing the end of his life, Black Elk returned to Harney Peak. Taking his finest headdress, painting himself to honor the sacredness of the world, and carrying a sacred pipe—he asked for a blessing. He prayed for rain, believing that if his life had been lived righteously, the Gods would bless him with water from the skies.
As he prayed, the sky was completely clear. There were tourists around him, wondering about this old man. It was a season of drought in the Dakotas, one of the worst in years. Yet, as Black Elk lay on the ground, making his prayer, clouds appeared just over that part of the mountain, and a light rain began to fall. Black Elk smiled, knowing that even though he hadn’t completely re-woven the sacred hoop of the Native tribes in the way he intended, his life had not been in vain.
This story shows us that there are bigger forces than we can imagine—bigger than politics, bigger than climate change, and bigger than AI. Despite the enormity of those issues, they’re trivial in comparison to the forces of the turning of the seasons, and the renewal of life. As Pablo Neruda says, “You can pick all the flowers, but you can’t stop the spring.”
This is a mysterious, great force. It’s something we’re asked to remember—to quiet ourselves, to align ourselves, and then, of course, to act. But to act not from fear.
My beloved friend, Wes Nisker, who died a couple of years ago, visited Gary Snyder, the great environmentalist, who was in his 90s and had been writing about the environment for over 50 years. Wes asked, “Gary, the oceans are rising, the deserts are growing, refugees are everywhere, animals are going extinct, the ice flows are melting. What advice do you have?”
Gary looked back and said, “Don’t feel guilty. If you want to save it, don’t save it out of guilt, don’t save it out of fear, don’t save it out of anger. The guilt, the fear, and the anger are what have created our human problems. If you want to save it, save it because you love it. That’s the force that makes a difference.”
When you meditate, you allow yourself to sit with heartbreak. Have you experienced heartbreak and fear? Every single one of us has. And yet, Gary says, “Don’t save it out of confusion or guilt.” We can feel those things, especially in these times. But remember the end of Mary Oliver’s poem, The Buddha’s Last Instruction, where the Buddha lies beneath the two trees, with his last words, “Make of yourself light.”
In these times which may seem quite dark, I invite you to do the same.
May you be a lamp in the darkness for all who may need.
With metta,
Jack
