I live in the lush, dense, dark, temperate rainforest of Western North Carolina. In the spring and summer, when the mountains explode with the green of trees, ferns, herbs, fungus and flowers, my husband and I like to explore the deep off-trail woods. There is no known direction as we walk. No set human-created path to follow. We let our intuitions guide us or we find a meandering creek to lead the way. We move slowly and with care, guided by curiosity, wonder, and body awareness. We listen to life, moment by moment, as it unfolds, allowing linear time to dissolve..
Walking off-trail through a dark dense forest is an appropriate metaphor for the times humans are currently facing. A brightly lit path with signs pointing in the “right” direction will never allow us to learn to feel and sense our way through the mystery itself. In this age of global uncertainty, the gift and invitation of dharma practice is not only that it teaches us to rest in not knowing, but also that it strengthens our embodiment of deep listening, intuition, and relational intelligence. By releasing the mind of separation and limitation, we can consciously utilize our imagination on behalf of the greater good. We can act more deeply from nature’s guidance, which is the power of intuition. We can surrender to the fertile and dark emptiness from which revelation and clear-seeing arises.
In this time of rapid growth and change, it is essential that people validate, cultivate, recognize, and learn to apply intuition and the strength of our imaginal faculties. When everything in the outer world is shifting, we have an opportunity to learn to stand in all possibilities and learn to see clearly in the dark.