From “Oh No!” to “Oh Wow!” or Practicing with Uncertainty and Fear - May 22nd 2020 (re-recorded 5/26)
From “Oh No!” to “Oh Wow!” or Practicing with Uncertainty and Fear - May 22nd 2020 (re-recorded 5/26)
(Accidentally we forgot to record this talk! However, Upayadhi gave a talk on the same theme a few days later on 5/26, with some additional reflections on the theme of racial reactivity in light of the incident in Central Park that same week. This is the talk you will find uploaded here).
As the economies of the places where we live begin to "open up" in various ways, many are understandably reporting a heightened sense of anxiousness related to uncertainty, and sometimes intensified interpersonal strife in public spaces. We seem to be in an "in-between space," tossed about by both hope and fear. In fact, the situation is affecting each one of us in different ways, due to social location, views and temperament. Can we bring more awareness to this, in ways that are liberating? And how can we as individuals and communities, care for our bodies, hearts and minds to avoid getting stuck in a frozen state of overwhelm?
In this talk, we hope to weave together teachings from the Buddhist tradition and contemporary sciences of stress and trauma, in order to illuminate how humans habitually relate to the unknown and the unpredictable. What are practices and perspectives that might support creative and helpful ways to dance with uncertainty -- and open to its inherent potential?
Links to resources/references mentioned in the talk:
- opening verses of the Dhammapada (translated by Gil Fronsdal)
- the Buddha describing his experience of fear: the Attadanda Sutta
- Ain’t Got No - I Got Life, by Nina Simone
- incident in Central Park and other similar incidents