Buddhist Philosophies on Transition
Simple Truths Bring Profound Insights.
The Buddhist Philosophy of Transition
Buddhist writings and teachings can be very helpful when you find yourself going though the disruption of a job transition Many Westerners may not think of turning to the beauty and simplicity of Buddhist writings as they are most likely unaware of these resources. There may also be a perception that Buddhist writings are too complicated to comprehend. Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, there are books that can provide a significant amount of solace and wisdom for navigating through a sudden life change.
The writings of Pema Chodron, an American Buddhist nun, are particularly insightful and help to uplift in times of change. You an experience a feeling of peace when reading her books. In her book When Things Fall Apart – Heartfelt Advice for Difficult Times, she writes, “When things fall apart and we’re on the verge of we know not what, the test for each us is to stay on that brink and not concretize. The spiritual journey is not about heaven and finally getting to a place that’s really swell.” Chodron continues, “Nevertheless, when the bottom falls out and we can’t find anything to grasp, it hurts a lot.”
The Buddhist Noble Truths
According to Chodron, “The very first noble truth of the Buddha points out that suffering is inevitable for human beings as long as we believe that things last – that they don’t disintegrate, that they can be counted on to satisfy our hunger for security. From this point of view, the only time we ever know what’s really going on is when the rug’s been pulled out and we can’t find anywhere to land. We use these situations either to wake ourselves up or to put ourselves to sleep.” She later writes, “Life is a good teacher and good friend. Things are always in transition, if we could only realize it. Nothing ever sums itself up in the way that we like to dream about. To stay with the shakiness, with the feeling of hopelessness and wanting to get revenge – that is the path of true awakening. Sticking with that uncertainty, getting the knack of relaxing in the midst of chaos, learning not to panic – this is the spiritual path.”
Typically, most of us do not regard discomfort as a life lesson headed our way. Most of us do not take these situations as teachings. “Disappointment, embarrassment, and all these places, where we just cannot feel good are a sort of death.” Chodron explains, “Rather than realizing that it takes death for there to be birth, we just fight against the fear of death. The spiritual journey involves going beyond hope and fear, stepping into unknown territory, continually moving forward.”
Chodron emphasizes, “Th most important aspect of being on the spiritual path may be to just keep moving.” Reading inspiring books by authors like Pema Chodron can help give perspective to those speed-bumps that you encounter during your life and to remind you that they are there for a purpose. Most of the time we don’t realize this and instead, we choose to run from the pain rather than working through it. However, when you pause and look for the lesson in the discomfort, that is when the healing can start to begin.
The Four Buddhist Maras
Buddhist thought gives the reader a direct line to the wisdom being imparted. Chodron continues in her book with a definition of the forces of Mara in Traditional Buddhist teachings. The Maras are one of the foundations of Buddhist thought.
“Traditional Buddhist teachings on the forces of Mara tell the story of while Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree on the evening that he was to attain enlightenment, he was attacked by the forces of Mara. Swords and arrows were shot at him, but the weapons turned to flowers as they hit him. What could one take from this story? One could summarize that what we regularly regard as obstacles are not really the enemy, but friends.”
There are Four Maras in Buddhist teachings:
- Devaputra Mara – has to do with seeking pleasure.
- Skandha Mara – has to do with how we try to recreate ourselves, try to get ground back.
- Klesha Mara – how we use our emotions to keep ourselves dumb or asleep.
- Yama Mara – the fear of death.
Skandhas Mara Helps Us Understand Transitions
Skandhas Mara is a concept that can be of comfort when one is going through the pain of job loss. “Skandha Mara is how we reach when the rug is pulled out from under us” offers Chodron, “We feel that we have lost everything that’s good. We don’t know what’s going to happen next or where we are. Then we recreate ourselves. We return to the solid ground of our self-concept as quickly as possible. Our whole world falls apart and we’ve been given this great opportunity. Sometimes we don’t trust our basic wisdom enough to just let it stay like that. Our natural reaction is to get our old selves back. This obstacle however does not need to be considered a problem, it can be an opportunity to create ourselves over and over again. We can allow ourselves to be inquisitive or open about what has just happened and what is yet to come.”
To explore more of Buddhist philosophy, check out www.tricycle.com and www.lionsroar.com both are online magazines. To read more of Pema Chodron’s wisdoms and writing go to her website at www.pemachodronfoundation.org.
Check out our other blogs on career transitions and coping with the emotional side of job transitions. Be sure to sign up for our email list to receive a free copy of our Top 10 Things to do when Downsized and Supportive Reading Resources for Transitions. As always, please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or thoughts at support@mindfuljobalignment.com. Also, you can leave your comments below. We’d love to hear from you!
By: Diana C. Stephens, PhD