Show Up With Your Armor On
Existence is a struggle - so it's only wise that we start thinking of it like a battle.
In Sanskrit, SUTRA literally translates to thread; in practice, it's an aphorism.
This SUTRA series unravels the profound depth found in simple, concise statements that weave spiritual wisdom with modern-day applications.
I'm not always enthusiastic. I don't mean that in an "Oh, I'm depressed and life has no meaning" way, but more as a feature of the spiritual journey. There are going to be tall waves, tidal ebbs and flows, and more than a few storms while we cross over the ocean of material life. I know it's not just me - many friends have confided in me that they have or currently do feel the same way.
But whenever I'm feeling down, I keep going back to this little phrase:
"Show up with your armor on."
Existence is a struggle - so it's only wise that we start thinking of it like a battle. One of my biggest spiritual inspirations is His Holiness Bhakti Tirtha Swami, who initially made this analogy. His observation was that enthusiasm diminishes when we don't do two things:
- Perform our spiritual practice attentively. For HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami (and others like myself who practice Gaudiya Vaishnavism), this practice is japa, or the personal chanting of mantra.
- Live a lifestyle aligned with our nature. This is trickier to implement immediately, but totally worth the effort. Constantly being in an environment you're not suited for drains all the energy out of you - so just imagine how vibrant life could be if the environment helped you out.
I've found this to be great advice because I think it acts on both the internal world and the external environment. Both are needed for us to function properly!
Our armor is our spiritual practice. A good spiritual practice allows us to be less affected by the challenges of life because it builds the strength of our inner world. In my tradition, it's poetically described as "cleaning the mirror of the heart." But we can't show up to a fight wearing armor and expect that everything will be fine - eventually, someone's going to show up with a bazooka, and we'll get blown to pieces. This is why we need the other part of the puzzle: acting on the things that challenge us.
Living a lifestyle aligned with your nature is the actions we take in the world. Specifically, those actions are how we show up in our interactions with other people. When we're placed in those difficult situations - those situations that stir up disturbing thoughts and emotions that don't roll off us like bullets on Superman - we need to recognize it as a test and act appropriately. Our goal is to have stronger armor, but it makes a lot of sense to duck when facing a machine gun.
This doesn't mean to treat others poorly! Being kind is the fundamental tenet of all morality: be kind to everyone, despite how they may treat you. However, this includes ourselves! We can't take care of others if we're sick in bed - but we also don't need to be in Olympic-level shape either. Think of your nature as your limits: it takes some intelligence and experience to be able to understand what you need and want properly.
