Independence Day

Freedom is an inside job, ya'all. It's natural to think of the Declaration of Independence today as we celebrate its signing in 1776--life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness--inalienable rights that America was founded upon. If we don't have reverence for life and freedom, then we can't begin to pursue a happy life. 

I think of Thich Nhat Hanh's eloquent definition of Reverence for Life in the first of the Five Mindfulness Trainings:

Reverence for Life 
Aware of the suffering caused by the destruction of life, I am committed to cultivating the insight of interbeing and compassion and learning ways to protect the lives of people, animals, plants, and minerals. I am determined not to kill, not to let others kill, and not to support any act of killing in the world, in my thinking, or in my way of life. Seeing that harmful actions arise from anger, fear, greed, and intolerance, which in turn come from dualistic and discriminative thinking, I will cultivate openness, non-discrimination, and non-attachment to views in order to transform violence, fanaticism, and dogmatism in myself and in the world. 

I've been pondering freedom today and thinking about living a life free of tension, I'm talking 100% free of anxiety, worry, fear, you name it. Is it possible? Inner Constellation clients are familiar with one of my favorite questions to ask--"What's keeping you from being 100% absolutely free?" The following helps us answer that question:

1) Recognize - when there is tension, slow down, look deeply, and take time to care for yourself and others. Often we push ourselves or push others in the direction we wish them to go, rather than...

2) Calming the Emotion - once tension is recognized, we can bring relief right away through the use of our breathing, our thinking, our actions and our words. This is the practice of peace and nonviolence, toward oneself and others. It's a choice and a necessary one on the path of freedom.  

3) Inspire - don't stay in the tension, recognize all the other conditions of goodness available, be grateful and recognize beauty, it surrounds us always, even in the midst of utter chaos.

As I finish writing this, a BBC news feed scrolls across my phone: Iraq suicide bomb attack, 165 dead in Baghdad. Three days of mourning has been issued. Freedom starts within. I come back to my Inner Constellation: recognize, calm, inspire. What do these events mean to me in light of Independence Day? Song, dedication, the sound of the bell, beginning a poem to set my intention....May all beings be happy, may they be healthy and strong, free from inner and outer harm, may they live in their world with ease and grace....*


*Lines adapted from the Metta Sutra