Marcus's Forgiveness Path
Without exercising the power of attention, we remain a mindless puppet.
In entry 12:19, Marcus wrote, “It’s time to appreciate that you have within yourself something that’s stronger and more divine than the things that generate the passions in you and in general tug you around like a puppet. What’s in my mind right now? Might it be fear? Mistrust? Desire? Something else like that?”
In Session 3, Kerri shared a great learning lesson, and it is worthwhile to revisit her experience of not allowing passions to dance her around like a puppet:
Our town of 4,000 souls has become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Alaska. This comes with tens of thousands of extra people during the summer months. Even in winter, we have to deal with more loud people, loose dogs, parties and endless noise. In summer, it never stops. We live on a lake. With the windows open, I used to be able to hear the loons in the wee hours, ducks nattering back and forth, the sounds of fish splashing, the high pitched scream of eagles throughout the day. Even the buzz of dragonflies and the dipping of a kayak paddle in the lake. I do not resent the visitors, so much as the noise, the endless noise that comes with them. No one who comes to the lake can listen to nature anymore. I asked myself, is this what I resent? I resent the loss of peacefulness? I resent the loss of the subtleties of remote living? Do I resent people who come to see and experience the natural beauty of Alaska, but bring their noise and frantic living to my doorstep, literally all hours of the day and night - we are the Land of the Midnight Sun.
Wow! We can imagine Kerri’s ongoing disappointment and resentment of the noise. We can assume Kerri has exhausted town rules and other remedies in the world.
Kerri saw the need for forgiveness, but as we all know, it is hard to dismiss what seems to be a concrete reality. In this case, people are making a racket in what used to be a sanctuary. Marcus didn’t want us to do a number on ourselves and pretend we aren’t disturbed, but he provided us a way that helps to change our relationship with Reality and ourselves.