On Teaching: "The Importance of Not Taking Things Seriously"

As a teacher, I can't think of a more important piece of advice for me than the title of this paragraph, for it points to a basic understanding of the truth of reality. Unfortunately, I often have a basic mis-understanding of the truth. I often fall into a hypnotic state in which I see reality as made up of countless material objects and forces, all of which I must take very seriously precisely because they are the essential elements of reality. In this state of mind, I see each event, each person, and each experience as being loaded with significance for my life. My survival literally depends on taking these events, persons, and experiences very seriously indeed. However, the title of my paragraph this morning reminds me that underneath this belief of a chaotic and threatening material reality lies the simple truth that life is one, infinite, and harmonious. All of the myriad events, persons, and experiences that enter life are simply the waves on the surface of an infinite ocean. The waves ceaselessly come and go, but the vast ocean remains whole and harmonious, just as infinite Life remains whole and harmonious while the varied elements of "my" life are rising and falling, entering and leaving, living and dying. So today, no matter what might happen on the "surface" of life, I can rest comfortably in the assurance that the great sea of reality is endlessly working its miracles underneath everything. The students may get a little unruly, or a class may not go exactly as I had planned, or some unexpected news may come my way, but whatever happens to this supposedly separate entity called "me", consolation will always come in the realization that, beneath it all, everything is fine, well-balanced, perfect, and exactly as it should be. In the midst of the worst news possible, I can quietly smile simply because I don't take any event, person, or experience very seriously. I only take seriously the immeasurable and harmonious universe, of which we are all a part.