Shiv, your advice is perfect. “Be damned, damn it!” I really like that you brought up the example of the temple guardians. Being “stuck” is a sacred state of being yet, in the patriarchal West, venturing beyond our ego control is considered shameful.
William Bridges in his book “Transitions,” describes three basic stages of the transformation or change process - Ending: separation, dying, loss; Neutral Zone: chaos, confusion, stuck; and Renewal: rebirth, new beginning.
It is the neutral zone that is most vexing to Western minds because it is a surrender of the conscious to the mysteries of the subconscious energies. It is a deep yin or feminine process - a state of sacred “pregnancy.” Like a physical pregnancy, it is beyond conscious control happening at its own pace, a sacred mystery. The job, of the neutral zone is to be quiet, have faith, and wait. Someone described it as a time of "fertile emptiness."
One cannot rush a pregnancy. Any attempt to take control will likely abort the process cycling us back into the Ending stage again with feelings of loss and separation. Let the guardians perform their sacred duties and surrender into the process. Transition is deep soul work, not a consciously-willed process. It cannot be forced nor denied, but will emerge spontaneously when the conditions are right.
Lol it’s like I have some kind of psychic connection to Shiv’s brain, this article has never been more relevant to me. I’m currently moving house, we’ve moved in but there’s still stuff in the old house and it has to be cleaned, meanwhile an old woman smashed into my wife’s parked car, writing it off, plus lots of other stuff happening that’s pulling my mind in lots of different directions, I feel overwhelmed, I’m getting angry with everything, it’s all too much. I tried to follow Nisargattas advice “treat everything as a dream” which did help for a little bit but then it wore off, like all coping mechanisms do. Then I remembered that Shiv has moved continents, and was homeless whilst in Japan (I think?), with his family, so if he can go through all that, why can’t I? P.s and we’ve only moved 4 doors down the road into a refurbished house 😅 then I’ve just remembered that there are people in Gaza right now who have had their homes raised to the ground, their lives obliterated, and here I am in a nice house with a load of unpacked boxes.
Like all the others who commented already I was drawn to this today, in this moment, at this time. Just floated in on the cloud of unknowing. I’m currently in the neutral zone, thanks Cedric for that informative addition, a place I have been so many times in this life experience.. i can feel the opening to the coming beginning.. I do appreciate this moment and this guidance. And I thank you for your presence. Namaste
Picture's infos : Agyo and Ungyo (the respective names of the two Nio guardians) at Tōdai-ji which is is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Japan. The Nio guandians are situated in the Nandai-mon Gate.
"The original structure erected during the Nara period was destroyed by a typhoon in the Heian period (794-1185). The present gate, which dates to the Kamakura period (1185–1333), was reconstructed by Chōgen, the monk responsible for restoring Tōdai-ji, at the end of the twelfth century. The ridgepole was raised in 1199 and the structure was completed in 1203.
The Nio statues, positioned on either sides of the gate, were carved sometime in the 13th century by the sculptors Unkei and Kaikei. It is said they took only 69 days to carve out these immensely detailed wooden statues. The massive statues are about 8.4 meters in height and look particularly impressive at night when they are illuminated.
The statues represent the Nio Guardian Kings. Known as Kongo Rikishi , the statues, one with mouth open, the other with mouth closed, are said to represent life and death. In Indian mythology, these two guardian kings are referred to as Vajradharas or thunderbolt holders." (source : https://www.vikipandit.com/todaiji/ )
Shiv, your advice is perfect. “Be damned, damn it!” I really like that you brought up the example of the temple guardians. Being “stuck” is a sacred state of being yet, in the patriarchal West, venturing beyond our ego control is considered shameful.
William Bridges in his book “Transitions,” describes three basic stages of the transformation or change process - Ending: separation, dying, loss; Neutral Zone: chaos, confusion, stuck; and Renewal: rebirth, new beginning.
It is the neutral zone that is most vexing to Western minds because it is a surrender of the conscious to the mysteries of the subconscious energies. It is a deep yin or feminine process - a state of sacred “pregnancy.” Like a physical pregnancy, it is beyond conscious control happening at its own pace, a sacred mystery. The job, of the neutral zone is to be quiet, have faith, and wait. Someone described it as a time of "fertile emptiness."
One cannot rush a pregnancy. Any attempt to take control will likely abort the process cycling us back into the Ending stage again with feelings of loss and separation. Let the guardians perform their sacred duties and surrender into the process. Transition is deep soul work, not a consciously-willed process. It cannot be forced nor denied, but will emerge spontaneously when the conditions are right.
Lol it’s like I have some kind of psychic connection to Shiv’s brain, this article has never been more relevant to me. I’m currently moving house, we’ve moved in but there’s still stuff in the old house and it has to be cleaned, meanwhile an old woman smashed into my wife’s parked car, writing it off, plus lots of other stuff happening that’s pulling my mind in lots of different directions, I feel overwhelmed, I’m getting angry with everything, it’s all too much. I tried to follow Nisargattas advice “treat everything as a dream” which did help for a little bit but then it wore off, like all coping mechanisms do. Then I remembered that Shiv has moved continents, and was homeless whilst in Japan (I think?), with his family, so if he can go through all that, why can’t I? P.s and we’ve only moved 4 doors down the road into a refurbished house 😅 then I’ve just remembered that there are people in Gaza right now who have had their homes raised to the ground, their lives obliterated, and here I am in a nice house with a load of unpacked boxes.
Thanks, your writing has an uncanny knack of being about almost exactly what I'm currently experiencing.
Lol see my comment above, whatever I’ve been going through over the years he has always seemed to write the right thing at the right time
Like all the others who commented already I was drawn to this today, in this moment, at this time. Just floated in on the cloud of unknowing. I’m currently in the neutral zone, thanks Cedric for that informative addition, a place I have been so many times in this life experience.. i can feel the opening to the coming beginning.. I do appreciate this moment and this guidance. And I thank you for your presence. Namaste
Picture's infos : Agyo and Ungyo (the respective names of the two Nio guardians) at Tōdai-ji which is is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Japan. The Nio guandians are situated in the Nandai-mon Gate.
"The original structure erected during the Nara period was destroyed by a typhoon in the Heian period (794-1185). The present gate, which dates to the Kamakura period (1185–1333), was reconstructed by Chōgen, the monk responsible for restoring Tōdai-ji, at the end of the twelfth century. The ridgepole was raised in 1199 and the structure was completed in 1203.
The Nio statues, positioned on either sides of the gate, were carved sometime in the 13th century by the sculptors Unkei and Kaikei. It is said they took only 69 days to carve out these immensely detailed wooden statues. The massive statues are about 8.4 meters in height and look particularly impressive at night when they are illuminated.
The statues represent the Nio Guardian Kings. Known as Kongo Rikishi , the statues, one with mouth open, the other with mouth closed, are said to represent life and death. In Indian mythology, these two guardian kings are referred to as Vajradharas or thunderbolt holders." (source : https://www.vikipandit.com/todaiji/ )