New Teachers, New Learning: Part 3

Now some more on Alchemy

Hi y’all: letting you know an “out of normal timeline” post needs to be sent at some point next week (no Sunday Short on Sunday—thanks for indulging me with those, btw). So, stay tuned—and thank you always for staying in tune with me. THAT’s how we create the greatest resonance. Remember, I always enjoy seeing the “likes,” reading the comments, and getting the emails from my Substack email. If you are used to getting these posts through your email, when you subscribed to my Substack in that manner, you simply need to hit reply and I’ll be the only one to get your email message—I would LOVE that. I always respond. I learn so much and gain so much and become a better human by reading your thoughts and reflections and comments. Which is to say, having you in the world, my world, brings benefit to my life. This is Ubuntu—“I am because you are.” You are a part, an important part, of my alchemy. Without you, I am different: by Ubuntu’s definition, I would not be me.

You are always invited into my kitchen to be a fellow Alchemist. And to that point…

I’m continuing to brag on some of my newest teachers. In doing so, it’s not lost on me you catch deeper glimpses into my own life. A writer always risks that. I had a friend recently share her wonder and surprise with me that I am sharing so much about my personal life. She grew up with me, as a close colleague, seeing how protective I was about my personal life. It became a kind of fun point of teasing from my friends who got used to me keeping separate my various worlds—especially my work and family worlds. But they learned to live with it—not that they lost any sleep over it, mind you. I’m not that important. And I never lost any sleep over it, either. Introverts be that way. We don’t apologize for that.

But things change. And I’ve changed and evolved. Dad’s lived example of his life and death highlighted for me the importance of Elders in our lives. Anyone can be an Elder. Everyone should think about becoming an Elder themselves as they live a life that can be observed by others. If others, especially kids are watching, there be “Eldering” to do. Never kid yourself on that point (yes, duh, pun intended!). They’re always watching, those kids, and learning—so you might as well be intentional in your teaching. Or else, imagine just what they are learning from you. Cuz they are. No kidding! (Ugh…okay, I’ll stop.)

And you’re welcome. That be free Eldering there for you—from me, a lifelong professional educator.

My writing here is my humble attempt to put some Eldering out in the world. Whether it is read or resonates is not up to me. Which is why I value you. Every meditation sesshin I practice, I repeat a mantra that is also one of the Bodhisattva vows I renew daily—“May I nurture wisdom and impart any benefits I may have to all Beings.” I do this respectfully, humbly, and only if it is wanted, with never any judgments. But the point is never lost on me:

You get to decide if it is wanted. Always.

“All we are really doing is walking each other home.” ~ Ram Dass

“The purpose of our life is to help others through theirs.” ~ Peter Matthiessen.

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So…Alchemy:

George Thompson is a “young” seeker. [editorial note: I’m old enough now, like AARP-old enough, that anyone even a couple years behind me I get to call young. It’s a term of endearment—always. Because I’ve been there. I know.]

George is a student of the Tao: a philosophy of being, a way of life, articulated so masterfully by the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, in the sixth century BCE, who wrote The Tao Te Ching. And I count George as one of my newest teachers—Lao Tzu has been a teacher of mine for a while. He’s a little older than George, in the grand scheme of things.

I’ve been studying the Tao myself for the past five years—including intensive study this entire year as I’m systematically reading five different translations of the Tao Te Ching and journaling my reflections. Eighty one verses spread over 365 days of this year: 2023. Every day I spend time with The Tao Te Ching and I spend time writing about my learning. I’m learning a lot about the Tao, about the ultimate source of life, about me, and…about YOU too. I’m learning how to be more fully human as the spiritual being that I am. I’m learning how to be a better human among other humans and I’m also learning how to be a better Elder, or Sage as Lao Tzu calls them. A Sage cannot call themselves a Sage, by the way—THAT honorific is always bestowed by others whether or when they notice, and/or care, to see that the person, the potential Sage, is living a life of meaning, a life worth learning from, or emulating. Other’s bequeath the reverent title of Sage upon you—it’s earned from the gratitude and affirmation of others, never self-proclaimed.

But that’s not my end goal, anyway. It can’t be my end goal. Because that’s not why I study, and learn and write…or certainly live. Every single day provides countless opportunities, for each of us, to make this world better, in some way for some one.

Just by our living well in it.

(Does that beg a question from you? I mean, really, how do YOU define “living well?”)

“I didn’t go the great Rabbi to listen to him read the Torah. I went to him to watch him tie his shoes.”

~ quoted by Ram Dass referencing an unknown author

In an email post George sent out recently, he shared the following:

On the Way: the true meaning of ‘alchemy'

Hope you are well friend! 

Here are 3 thoughts, 2 quotes, and 1 question to explore this week.

3 Thoughts From Me

I.

Alchemy is normally thought of as a fool's errand, someone trying to transform their chickpea cans into gold.

II.

But spiritual alchemy is something deeper. For most people, the ‘bad' things that happen to them are the source of pain, sorrow, depression. For the spiritual alchemists, they can experience the exact same events and yet TRANSMUTE that experience into learning, into peace, into joy.

III.

This is real magic. Magic only in the sense that most people would not think it was possible for them. But this sort of alchemy is very much possible. It is our birthright to be able to live a life of freedom and joy. It just takes practice and support to access this potential.

 2 Quotes From Others

I.

Ian McGilchrist on the paradoxical potential of alchemy:

• In order to be natural, we must not try to be so;

• If we wish happiness, it is fatal to pursue it;

• Freedom requires self-discipline; sometimes we must be cruel to be kind.

• Fear of pain leads to pain and fear

• So that they may be impervious to indoctrination, children must be indoctrinated in the principles of reason.

II.

Derek Lin on the skill of emotional alchemy:

• When you mediate a dispute and diffuse an explosive situation: you have transformed harm into harmony.

• When you lead by example and inspire other people to follow a positive path, you have transformed their potentiality for goodness into actuality.

• Change apathy into empathy.

• Change the meaningless into the meaningful.

Apply the Dao Now

What are you resisting? Where are you suffering? Can you apply the magic of emotional alchemy? Accept and flow with what is.

I just love the word, and so much more!

Every time I see it in print, or hear it talked about (which admittedly is rare), I’m drawn to the word Alchemy. Its use, obviously, has evolved over time since the early days of the ancient Alchemists. But the young, yet wise and earnest George Thompson, resonates so strongly with me when he wrote:

THAT’s my practice—to turn the ingredients of life into Alchemical gold. And anything, every thing of life, can be transmuted into spiritual gold. My next teacher that I will write about will take this concept, secularly, even further—which is why he, Michael A. Singer, is among my newest and most influential teachers.

Alchemy is about the combining of life’s ingredients, and through the application of controlled heat (ie cooking), creating something new, and different, and valuable. It’s also why I’m loving learning more about the art and craft and skill of cooking.

The Alchemy of a Journey is my attempt at a highly personal recipe or “cookbook” on how to cook life—or at least how I’m cooking my life. Just like I do, I’d always tell you to use a recipe very loosely. For me, a recipe is only a suggestion—I’m starting to trust more my own skill and taste in the kitchen to make a recipe my own by recombining ingredients in different ways, or using different ingredients altogether. To create something that tastes exactly as it will taste. The fact I’ve been 100% plant-based, i.e. a Vegan, for over a decade now, has helped me evolve toward becoming quite the “foody.” Most of the time, if you eat at my house, and I’m cooking for you, you’ll be eating vegan. And most are very pleasantly surprised by the experience. Dad was—whether or not he was realizing in the moment that that piece of meat or cheese there on his pizza, or that milk in his class or ice cream dish, didn’t come from an animal. He just always thought I was trying to get more spinach into what he was eating—which, of course at times, was absolutely TRUE!

This analogy to my vegan cooking, in the end, is also a great “life-connection” analogy—the experience of something new, never tried before, in the next eternal present moment to present itself to me, and then walking away with a sense of awe or wonder after, if not even becoming the better for having had the experience. And one should always turn every experience of life, good, bad, or indifferent, into life affirming growth. THAT’s the intention of Alchemy.

The spiritual alchemist would say (teach) that in life there is no such thing as good or bad or indifferent. Our minds, our egos, through our preferences and judgments, create ALL the good, bad, and indifferent—there is nothing inherent in life or reality that, on its own, is good, bad, or indifferent. Good, bad, and indifferent only comes from “thinking,” from our minds. To our detriment, our incessant thinking places the filters of those judgments upon our experiences. And thoughts are not real. That’s a vital teaching in Alchemy:

Independent of mind, thoughts are NOT real!

But more on this from Michael A. Singer when Part 4 gets written, and sent.

The Eternal Present Moment:

For me, personally, that’s my own intention—to become a better human for having experienced fully the reality of the life I’m living in each moment, through each eternal present moment, and without the narrative and judgments and preferences of my ego. THAT’s my spiritual growth intention. THAT has become my life practice. And through compassionate service and loving kindness, THAT is also how I’m now defining “living well” for me.

I’ve been learning that this same intention is available to everyone, to you, in every eternal present moment of your own day too. It’s not rocket science hard, but it does takes intention.

And you have to bring the heat!

Alchemists use heat to transform elements and molecules and metals into new elements, and molecules, and metals. Your passion, your vigor for life, your mission to improve yourself, to live fully, and to become a more fully realized human yourself, feeling EVERYTHING life brings your way with no judgment or interference, means you, too, can become an Alchemist. Because all of that life passion and intention…is your heat!

As it is, your life IS being cooked one way or the other—by you or someone or something else. In every moment of your days, your life is being cooked into something different. You are never the same “you” you were when you woke that day—because the things of life, the ingredients—the experiences brought to you by each eternal present moment, as they passed through you—cooked you, changed you. You might as well take the lead and bring your own heat—becoming the active Alchemist of your own life. All the better, then, to control the final dish!

Good, bad, or indifferent.

(LOL!)

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

~ Henry David Thoreau

Alchemy is fun! It TASTES GREAT!

And it’s LESS FILLING!

(See what I did just there? Maybe you have to be AARP-old like me to get THAT analogy!)

Always and Ubuntu,

~ kert

🙏🏼

BTW: Yes, I’ve read Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. And I do recommend it! Along with all the other 150 MILLION people, worldwide, who have also read it. Fellow budding Alchemists and kindred spirits each. It’s a relatively quick but oh-so-deep read! A book that demands multiple readings, btw. An important ingredient in my life.

Just in case you’re interested and want to put eyes on George Thompson (careful, your eyes may get stuck and you’ll emerge about an hour from now after experiencing alchemical “lost time.” But I guarantee you’d be better cooked! And less filling!):

That’s NOT George there, in the YouTube title frame, but that man IS another of my own teachers! I seem to keep finding them and finding them and finding them. I figure there are about 8 billion teachers of mine out there right now—and those are just the ones in human form! Don’t get me started on all the other species and Kingdoms.

Time for you to go back to the kitchen now, aka: the rest of your life.

Ingredients are calling!

(Try to make them more plant-based too, if you please—our animal friends will bless you for it. They will!)