“There is a plethora of news reports about the suffering, it’s everywhere one looks. Yet what about the joys? If all we focus on is the suffering, how out of balance do we become? Yes it’s vital to bear witness to the joys in and of life as well, hopefully in equal measure.

And…Yes we need to laugh, yet not just about anything. We need to laugh about the circumstances we are facing so we might see a deeper meaning in them. The goal is not to chase the blues away, but to embody them and fill them with a sense of lightness.

Der ganze Brief von Moshe Cohen im Wortlaut.

I feel so lucky every time I come to Aigen, and enjoy the beauty and peace that inhabits and surrounds St Virgil.  It’s not hard to transport my imagination right now, and find myself sitting in the cafe looking out the large windows at those amazing mountains.  Today however, my meditation is here in San Francisco, sheltering in place, looking out on a quiet grey foggy early morning.  No complaints as there is plenty of beautiful nearby, and in these times, I’m learning to be more appreciative of what surrounds me. 

I can only imagine that many of you, like myself, have personal concerns with the current situation. Life has been turned upside down in so many ways.  When I read/hear/watch the reports from the ‘front-lines,’  my concerns quickly evaporate.  I am healthy, safe with food and shelter in a country with relatively good resources close by.  When I read stories from hospital nurses in places like New York City,  the intensity of  battles patients can face, I can only thank my lucky stars and my gratitude opens wide.   

 It’s easy to say that one should not let fear control us, to choose love over fear.  Yet real life keeps happening  My training demands that I inject lightness and humor into exactly these type of situations. Often that is second nature yet sometimes it feels like a bit of heavy lifting.  Occasionally I catch myself worrying, letting fear get a hold of me.  Thankfully, those moments don’t last too long, awareness brings me around to recognize small waves in the bigger sea, yet they are there.  

And that bigger sea is so much bigger, especially when my mind travels to those countries and places I’ve visited on Clowns Without Borders projects.  Countries that lack the vast resources of the developed world.  Dwelling on the potential disasters that face us is not a very effective way to create positive change.  So like I imagine many of us must do, i recognize these challenges, and then remind myself to look at what I can do in the here and now.  My wish is to be of service, to stay connected to the global good and to be part of the solution.

As someone whose job it is to inject levity and lightness into the world, I am aware of the good it can bring. I am also aware of how vital it is that this levity be connected to the concerns of people and not some type of frivolous exercise in empty laughter. These past days I’ve been meditating on what it means to share humor in these challenging times. On the need for respect, empathy and compassion with all that we are dealing with.

In seeking wisdom around ‘levitas gravitas,’ I am often reminded of Bernie Glassman’s 3 tenets for peacemaking, ‘Not Knowing, Bearing Witness and Taking Action.’ These tenets are a great guide for an appropriate method of dealing with these times. That one starts in a place of not-knowing is so vital. Most of us are facing strong challenges that we are not necessarily sharing openly. 

Any impulse to share humor, to invite levity into a situation that could use some lightening is certainly a generous offer.  However, what about those on the receiving end? Are they wishing for humor right now?  Are they even open to being in connection?  How very important for the offerer to have their listening acutely tuned!  Witnessing, listening will most likely give you the appropriate strategy of action. Leading with lightness rather than strong humor might well be a good initial strategy in these difficult times.

Yet I bring up these tenets for another reason, because Bernie would talk about the importance of Bearing Witness to the Joys And Suffering. There is a plethora of news reports about the suffering, it’s everywhere one looks. Yet what about the joys? If all we focus on is the suffering, how out of balance do we become? Yes it’s vital to bear witness to the joys in and of life as well, hopefully in equal measure. They need to be present in order for us to keep our equilibrium. Every time that I think that offering levity might be disrespectful of the sorrow and suffering that many are facing, I am reminded of Bernie’s words, of how important it is that we invest in the joy as well.

Yes we need to laugh, yet not just about anything. We need to laugh about the circumstances we are facing so we might grok (or see) a deeper meaning in them. The goal is not to chase the blues away, but to embody them and fill them with a sense of lightness. Thing is, this is not a one time exercise but rather a continuous cycle of recognizing and accepting the problems, investigating how we are feeling about them and re-investing in making small steps in a positive direction. It’s easier said than done, that’s for sure.
Levitas Gravitas!

One aspect of these corona times that is giving me reason for optimism is the great uptick in empathy and compassion that I am witnessing around me. I think that this is a big part of the solution,  that we are becoming, that we see the world as a global ‘we’, rather than an I.  These corona times offer humanity the time and space to see each other.  It is demanding that we become more conscious of the fact that we are all in this boat-planet earth- together.  It feels to me, and of course I could be totally wrong, yet I get the feeling that many people are not only looking to be the best version of themselves, they are looking out (or start looking out) for each other.

The other thing that is really giving me personal strength right now is the beauty of nature, and that it is close enough in this city of San Francisco, that I can go out and taste it.  I feel so fortunate to be able to go out to the big Golden Gate park, and to go to the beach. If you are imagining warm white sand beaches full of sunbathers and surfers.  That’s Southern California.  Up north, the ocean is a bit more wild, the beach windy and not so warm. Yet breathing in ll the negative ions, feeling the awesome power of the nature makes me feel so alive.

 I can only think to follow the advice of Maesumi Roshi’s (Bernie’s teacher) : “Appreciate this life.”