In this meditation, I return to the story of Elijah in the First Book of Kings and to the archetypal map of meditation practice we find in his experience of the cave.
In previous meditations, we considered the storm as an image of the thoughts, sensations and emotions that can distract us when we seek stillness, and the fire as an image of our desire for reality to be different from what it is. Today we encounter Elijah’s third trial: the earthquake.
The earthquake represents those periods of life when what once seemed secure begins to shake. A relationship may end, a job may be lost, an identity may change, or an understanding we have carried about ourselves may begin to break down.
Elijah teaches us to abide. We return to the cave of stillness, to the breath, to the present moment and to divine grace. Every trial has a beginning and an end. The storm comes and goes. The fire comes and goes. The earthquake comes and goes.
Our practice cannot prevent difficult circumstances from arising, but it can help us discover a deeper stability from which to meet them. In the midst of change, uncertainty and suffering, we learn to abide in stillness, equanimity and peace.
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction: Elijah and the earthquake
01:09 – Opening bell
01:25 – Entering the cave of stillness
02:07 – Grounding in the body and earth
02:53 – Anchoring ourselves in the breath
03:29 – The storm of thoughts and emotions
04:12 – Allowing the storm to come and go
04:36 – The fire of desire
05:05 – Working with reality as it is
05:27 – Abiding in sacred stillness
05:52 – The trial of the earthquake
06:28 – When what seemed secure begins to shake
06:57 – The breakdown of identity and ego
07:13 – Abiding through difficult times
08:07 – Returning to breath, stability and grace
08:33 – Growing in equanimity and peace
08:47 – Storm, fire and earthquake
09:37 – Nothing can remove our inner stability
10:21 – Remembering the teaching in difficult moments
10:55 – Closing bell