It is a rainy Saturday here at the Halau. It is the beginning of December and we are in uncharted waters both as a country (here in New Zealand) and as a world-wide community. Many feel like we are in the midst of a stormy sea as we seek to navigate our way through the rough waters. Many feel dis-oriented and at a loss, others are looking for signs to understand where we are.
It is true that you can only orient yourself to a new place or situation by your particular position in relation to what is around you. Orienteering as a team building exercise involves competitive navigation along a course, using a map and compass. Competitors find their way from checkpoint to checkpoint (called controls) in the shortest time possible. They must decide on the best route and then make it there without getting lost. One can easily see that in Covid times we are individually and collectively attempting to do the same. It is a daunting situation we are in – a highly connected world of 7.9 billion souls navigating a worldwide pandemic. No wonder there is confusion and a lot of testing to find the best route to the end of the Covid course.
On a personal level, how can we orient our way in a world that is continually changing?
Let’s look at the definition of orientation:
1. The action of orienting someone or something relative to the points of a compass or other specified positions. When we seek to find our way in unfamiliar circumstances we attempt to orient ourselves relative to those things around us. If we use the analogy of orienteering, we find our way from point to point using our position in relation to what is known. Our route and its success in getting us to the intended destination depends on several things: The acuity of our awareness, the clarity of our seeing, our ability to accurately interpret what we are seeing/reading and the depth of our understanding around what it is we are seeing and reading.
2. The relative position or direction of something. You can navigate in a particular direction with success but still find yourself lost if the information or interpretation of the information you have on hand is incorrect. Especially at the beginning if you start off with incorrect information you will get lost and it doesn’t matter how you adjust the course, it will continually lead you in the wrong direction even if you feel it is right. The ability to continually question what you are seeing and how you are interpreting it is a vital skill. This depends on your ability to draw upon information that comes from the most legitimate sources and also be willing to test your interpretation of what you think you know against the all the facts on hand. It requires a continual willingness to acknowledge that you may be wrong and the willingness to be able to adjust in flight.
3. A person's basic attitude, beliefs, or feelings in relation to a particular subject or issue. You can easily see that this is foundational in how you perceive what is around you, the direction you go in and the success of the path you chart. That is why all great teachings teach again and again QUESTION WHAT YOU BELIEVE TO BE TRUE, FEEL IS TRUE. To successfully navigate you must acknowledge confirmation bias in your information seeking. There are some interesting studies that say that “gut feeling” has its origins in genetic expression 'orienting' us in a particular direction. So our 'feelings' must be tested against a wide variety of information in order to determine the best course of action.
4. Familiarization with something. Familiarization is not the same thing as expertise. If you wanted to learn how to sing opera with the desire to perform one day would you learn from a friend who sings in a choir or would you find a world class Opera Instructor? When making key decisions along life’s path, finding the Sources with deep knowledge is Key. A person who has dedicated their life to a particular expertise and has the respect and acknowledgement of their profession behind them assures you that you are getting the very best information or instruction on how to uproceed.
So far we are talking about orienting outwardly. And you may begin to see that in order to discern the integrity of a teacher, the importance of a piece of information, the quality of signs you choose to base your course of action upon that first, you must be skilful at orienting your own inner landscape.
The word Orient means the root, start, or birth of something is its origin. The origin of the word origin is the Latin word originem, meaning "rise, beginning, or source."
Navigating our inner world is a lifelong practice. It is an expertise we develop as we meet life’s circumstances and find the best way forward through continually refining the course we are on. It is a trial and error process. Where we gain expertise is when we look at a particular action or decision or belief and see if it is bringing about a more expansive, connected life and clarity in our perception. The very best way to orient your inner landscape is to Nana Ike Kumu – Return to the Source. This requires you to go beyond what you THINK you know, who you THINK you are what you THINK you are doing and directly experience the Source in you that connects you DIRECTLY with the Source in Everyone and Everything. In order to connect to Source within you, you must not be a slave to the mind. You must develop the insight to watch what the mind is telling you. If it takes you down the shute and into an endless labyrinth of reactivity, you know you are out of integrity. You know it, because you feel angry, combatative, righteous, fearful, entitled, or any fixed way of thinking and being that closes you off and brings feelings of unhappiness within.
Mind is seductive. The way out begins when we initiate the practice of intentionally making contact with Source each day. This is achieved by any practice that moves our attention from what our mind is telling us, and instead fixes our attention on goodness, wholeness and beauty in ourselves. When our attention resides there we are in a place in which our perception is clear. We can truly contribute to the wellbeing of those closest to us and the people we meet. We experience the rightness of all things. We are grounded fully in our own Beingness which is goodness, beauty and generosity of spirit.
Orientation is the act or process of orienting or the state of being oriented. It is being sure of your position or positioning as things continually change around you. It is being flexible and fluid in order to meet the changing circumstances of Life. Based upon a clear understanding of your position at hand, you realize that any position will change with new information and circumstances and chart your course based on information that is sound and on deep observation. Not by where you have been but where you are. Not by whom you have been but who you ARE. You are OF THIS MOMENT.
Orient yourself towards the unchanging goodness within. Orient yourself towards the wholeness within. That is immediately felt when you are not divided by believing what the mind is saying. It is felt directly no matter the circumstances because it is SELF existent and does not change, no matter what is going on. This brings clarity to any and all situations.
May you find your way surely, and recognize the signs that will take you home where you already are!