Keeping The Smoke Hole Open, by Martin Shaw

Mantener abierto el agujero del humo

--por Martin Shaw

En el mito siberiano, cuando quieres lastimar a alguien, te cuelas en su tienda y cierras el agujero del humo.

De esa manera Dios no puede verlos.

Cierra el agujero de humo y romperás la conexión con el mundo divino. Montañas, ríos, árboles.

Cierra el agujero de humo y nos volveremos locos.

Cierra el agujero de humo y estaremos poseídos por nosotros mismos y solo por nosotros mismos.

Cierra el agujero de humo y solo tendrás tu neurosis como compañía.

Bueno, ya vale de eso. En serio, vamos. Somos adult@s. Tomemos un respiro.

Puede que tengamos que buscar un poco de soledad, pero no nos aislemos de lo maravilloso.

La alerta máxima es la naturaleza del momento, y con razón, pero no pretendo perder la realidad de que, como cultura, estamos entrando en un terreno profundamente mítico.

Me estoy olvidando de los negocios como siempre. Ninguna gran historia comienza así.

¿Qué necesita cambiar? ¿Profundizar? ¿Qué amabilidad en mí he abandonado tanto que podría buscar una nueva relación con ella?

Es útil inspeccionar mi ruina.

¿Podría volver a entablar una vieja relación con mi alma?

No necesitas que te diga cómo mantener abierto el agujero del humo. Tienes miles de formas.

Estamos inundados con el poder de las palabras (virus, aislamiento, pandemia) y apuntan hacia cosas muy reales. Hasta cierto punto, necesitamos el acoso organizacional que suponen.

¿Pero hablar así hace que los hechos sean más veraces?

¿Dónde está la belleza en todo esto?

Eso es parte, parte, de la respuesta correcta. El peso absoluto de la pena puede ser el tejido de una esterilla de oración.

Antes de quemar todo el mundo en la furia más amplia, ¿podríamos colectivamente buscar la vigilia en este momento?

¿Llorar por una visión?

Es lo que siempre hemos hecho.

Preguntas semilla para la reflexión: ¿Cómo te relacionas con la alegoría del agujero del humo como nuestra conexión con todo lo que está más allá de nuestro pequeño ego? ¿Qué te ayuda a conectarte con lo maravilloso mientras permaneces en soledad en este momento? ¿Cuál es una vieja relación con tu propia alma que estás reavivando ahora?

Extraído de la revista Emergence.

Excerpted from Emergence Magazine.

Seed Questions for Reflection

How do you relate to the allegory of the smoke hole as our connection to all that's beyond our little ego? What is helping you connect with the marvelous while remaining in solitude at this time? What is an old relationship with your own soul that you are rekindling now?

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Add Your Reflection

18 Past Reflections

Emily

Jul 14, 2024

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Eileen

Apr 5, 2020

Yes: "Let's not isolate from the marvelous " because yes: are we not more ready to see the marvelous, and to be the marvelous,
NOW - more than we ever have been before, since our childhood?

Kevin Decoteau

Apr 5, 2020

Thank you for this reminder. We are all being told we need to isolate, stay away from others. At my work I work with the public, I see so may taking evasive actions when they/we see another walking towards us and we quickly look for a way, a direction to avoid them, yes I understand the distancing, can we take the distance and share a hello or a smile or an acknowledgement of our fears? I want us to remember we are here in this moment to take care of each other, to support each other in whatever way we feel is appropriate.
Take care of ourselves too, because if we are not feeling willing, strong and able we will not have anything to give to our brothers and sisters. Rest, eat healthy foods, spend time in prayer/meditation and we will move forward in this challenge. Do what is right for ourselves and don't forget our neighbors.
Community.

Carlen Wahl

Apr 5, 2020

It is a beautiful allegory and in my minds eye I can see how it let's the air and light in. Music is helping me, I've rediscovered the magic of beautiful piano music again. I'm rekindling or perhaps rediscovering self compassion with my soul

Kaitlyn

Apr 4, 2020

Thank you for this.

Gasongi

Apr 2, 2020

Reminds me of my grandmother's teaching about how our body is only our another layer of our wigwam that provides shelter for our soul, our spirit. What we feed our body provides the outcome. What we bring into our wigwam and who we bring into our wigwam, (our tent) is a reflection of what shines and burns in the inside us and our wigwam. Canada is a bastardized word for Kinada pronounced Kin-nah-dah, meaning there is room for everyone! That was how this country was formed on welcoming all, no one was or is to be shut out. We must continue this practice of kindness and generoisity, it is what has been keepng us alive thoroughout all the atrocities and barriers put at our feet. The teaching is to be kind, welcoming in good spirit to all spirits that enter your wigwam, your tent, your spirit, your soul...as with goodness can only grow and spread generousity,
Gasongi...from Nokomis Jane Manitowabi

Midtown Modern Apr 3, 2020

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Emilia

Apr 1, 2020

Thank you very much for this Martin Shaw. Your invitation warms my heart. These times pull me deep into the lap of ancient myth and story. The mind-boggling shared collective experience contrasted against our very own individual is absolutely asking to 'grow corn on my tongue' (I love this image! Thank you!). Leaving small prayers by the base of the old oak. Whispering love poems to our growing moon while wiping tears of grief for those that cannot breathe. Celebrating every blossom that opens, every broken eggshell on the forest ground. I have the space and need to revisit last nights dreams, weaving my own tapestry of symbols and meanings (and oh what a delight!). So despite all the dizzying uncertainty, smoke hole open, and poking through to the other side. And wowowowowow the stars shine bright!Because when sense fails the resonating of our imaginations can indeed help keep us sane.

Bonnie

Mar 31, 2020

Closing the smoke hole is the way each of us turns away from the other. While turning away for healing may be necessary, turning back in good time is essential. We need each other, we need the complications of a virus, to show us how life can also be lead. Many have said this and I will say it again, this is an opportunity of such a worldwide magnitude that gratitude can be the response. Thank you that we are in this together and that we can be united as one.

Kaitlyn Apr 4, 2020

Beautifully said.

Renata

Mar 31, 2020

The Awakening If you want to know who you are, if you want to know the truth of your friends, the caring of your neighbors or that of the stranger down the street, if you want to know , then you will have to relinquish everything. You will know when you have lost your freedom, your dependence on the old way of life, the plentitude of food. when nothing is what it once was. Then you will know. You will be stripped bare, down to the bones of your soul, in the aloneness of your Self. In this nakedness you will discover the pearl of your essence, recognize the power of love, the light of love in the eyes of others, the suffering of those who struggle in the darkness of their souls. And there will come a stillness in which there is born an awakening, a slow, shivering awakening which calls us calls us forward to step into the new day unfolding, to step into the future of our making. © Renata Amedea Santerre ... View full comment

Kay Mar 31, 2020

Renata- Simply beautiful!

Martha Nelson

Mar 31, 2020

As I die to self more and more in this isolated state of being, I wonder what will be left on the stone when this is over. Will I be more pure of heart? Or will this unnatural state of the smoke hole closing create in me a heart afraid, unconvinced of the possibilities of life again?
A good hard cleansing can leave a garment faded, uncolorful in its purity, flatly folded to rest in a hidden cupboard, silent to the outside world, craving nothing. Some would say, "At last." I would say, "Not for me."

David Doane

Mar 27, 2020

Martin Shaw's allegory of the smoke hole is profound for me. The Western World has closed the smoke hole, and in so doing we have broken our connection to divinity not only outside our tent but also inside and closed ourselves in on ourselves with our little egos. How tragic what we've done to ourselves. What helps me while in solitude is knowing that all creation is divine or sacred and I am part of all sacred creation. I and this world can forget, deny, or ignore that, but it's still true. Maybe the crisis that is happening at this time will wake us up to our connection with sacred creation. What helps me is growing in awareness that the extension of God called my soul is my embodied essence. With that awareness I am enhancing relationship with my soul. With that awareness the smoke hole is open.

Rachel Goddard Mar 31, 2020

Hmmm
very interesting
I'm feeling a tricky space to go within as I have a 5 yr old girl and now her father has moved in after taking 3 years to separate from a very unconscious relationship I find myself living very closely as he was homeless..so to find the space to go within seems very limiting as I'm mostly dynamic managing . Which after 3 weeks lockdown is quite a challenge as I'm sure for all mothers...the smoke hole is interesting as .
if we were smoked out and died we could be reborn. Which is the world over
we are going through 3d death and 5d birth a massive leap. Which I understand. All my life I have had a deeper view one most family and friends ds would criticize. Now one must draw on that . So the I ner self is finally being given a platform to be heard...I will listen now with more calm and awareness than ever has and ever will. This time is a gift. I will accept it graciously.
namaste
rachel aka Anusha

Jagdish P Dave

Mar 27, 2020

The Coronavirus presents a great challenge to all of us for safety and survival.Whose safety and whose survival? The little ego says " the safety and survival for me at the cost of others." When we face a huge crisis we need to go beyond our little ego. This is a call to all of us to learn how to tackle personal or collective crisis. How to grow from it? All wisdom traditions emphasize to offer selfless service to those who need. When we go beyond our ego, when we close the " smoke whole", we get connected with the divine world within us. It opens the door of compassion, generosity and unconditional love., the Divine Love. I always find time and a quiet place to do Mindfulness Meditation. I seek solitude to practice Mindfulness Meditation for quieting my inner noise, the busy and chattering mind, to connect with the marvelous, the Divine Light within me. The marvelous Divine Light guides me to walk on the path of serving others. Like others, I miss walking on the ... View full comment

Rachel Goddard Mar 31, 2020

Hey jagdish
that's beautiful
I feel your light
x

Sonali Mar 31, 2020

Lovely!