The 8 Pillars of Joy that will help us to survive THE BIG GRIEF
Uplifting practices for spiritual seekers and environmental activists who are sensitive to the dark days ahead.
Sustaining ourselves through THE BIG GRIEF that is upon us will be an ongoing challenge. Doing so will be easier if we practice “The 8 Pillars of Joy” which have been identified by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu in the THE BOOK OF JOY.
Not being one for much small talk, one of the recurring bigger conversations I’ve been trying to have with myself, and with others, revolves around the subject of joy.
What are some uplifting practices for those of us who are spiritual seekers and environmental activists — people who are sensitive to the dark days ahead?
Where do we find joy while immersed in the THE BIG GRIEF that keeps visiting us?
It’s not a topic that generates long conversations. Yet I persist, and I listen carefully. You see, if we don’t cultivate joy along the way, the inevitable journey toward measurable collapse will be filled with nothing but heartbreaking doom.
As for me, I want to whistle while I work on Loving Mother Earth!
That’s the only way I’ll be able to sustain myself, hoping that some of creation survives to be reborn, evolved, elevated, and regenerated into something better.
THE 8 PILLARS OF JOY — Introduced
This article is an introduction to a series from me on “The 8 Pillars of Joy” — each is an inspired adaptation from THE BOOK OF JOY by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams. Their book is a delightful place to start in the search for joy.
Along the way, as I learn from you and others, more “Pillars” will be added to this series of articles.
These two saints met in Dharamshala, India, for a reunion in April of 2015. It was the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday. Archbishop Tutu had prostate cancer at that time and was to die the day after Christmas in 2021. For these tender friends, this was their last visit together.
THE BOOK OF JOY, written with Douglas Abrams, is filled with the lessons that these two remarkable leaders wished to leave the world. Principally, they came together to name “The 8 Pillars of Joy” that sustained them through the dark and horrible events of the years in which they lived.
It was a bittersweet visit. Each knew their days were numbered. They were best of friends, which is just remarkable. Who gets to hug and kiss and dance with the Dalai Lama? No one. But here they are. BFFs.
Let us not forget that each faced enormous challenges, and prevailed.
The Dalai Lama has witnessed the brutal suppression of his country and its people. After years of protests, a massive violent revolt broke out when China invaded Tibet. That was March of 1959. Since then, he has resided in Dharamshala, India… in exile. The people of Tibet are divided — some remain, and some have moved to India. China’s aim has been to divide and conquer. Tibet is not free.
Bishop Tutu was a leader in advocating for integration during the years of Apartheid (meaning “apartness” in Afrikaans) in South Africa. From 1948 to 1994 that system kept human beings separate from each other. Tutu brought political and economic pressure on the system, and then brought about healing of the wounds when he lead the country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Both men are qualified sufferers. They have truly walked through the valley of the shadow of death.
Might their 8 Pillars of Joy help us adapt while our Environment Collapses?
The answer is a resounding YES.
If these two holy friends can boogie, in spite of it all, so can we.
Here are The 8 Pillars of Joy
· Perspective
· Humility
· Humor
· Acceptance
· Forgiveness
· Gratitude
· Compassion
· Generosity
As we learn to count our many blessings, we can keep our heads above water and our hearts from breaking completely.
Here are my articles on each of The 8 Pillars of Joy, written for those who are consciously navigating through THE BIG GRIEF while seeking to integrate their environmentalism with their spirituality.
In 2020, I wrote the book LOVING MOTHER EARTH: Integrating Environmentalism and Spirituality. You can find commentaries about the big ideas in this little book at www.loving-mother-earth.com, and here on Medium. You can purchase my book on Amazon, and know that if you do, $5.00 from every purchase is donated to The Sierra Club.
Thank you for Loving Mother Earth. Follow me and I will follow you if, in truth, you are passionate about integrating environmentalism with spirituality. After all, we are in this together.
