West London Buddhist Centre

Learning from a spider’s web

Published on Oct 5th 2024, in Blog

Learning from a spider’s webTaking a break the other day to absorb some sad and upsetting news, I sat outside and fortuitously, looked up and saw a spider reconstructing a web which had been damaged by the wind.Taking a break the other day to absorb some sad and upsetting news, I sat outside and fortuitously, looked up and saw a spider reconstructing a web which had been damaged by the wind.

Taking a break the other day to absorb some sad and upsetting news, I sat outside and fortuitously, looked up and saw a spider reconstructing a web which had been damaged by the wind.

And if that isn’t a few classes of Buddhism 101 personified (or spiderfied), I don’t know what is.

The interconnection of our actions of body (the web) and mind (the intention to rebuild the web); the power and dependence of conditions for what the results of our actions are (wind breaking the threads – maybe like the eight worldly winds of gain/loss, praise/blame, pleasure/pain, fame/disgrace); the (apparently) calm recognition that things are impermanent, change, let go, die; the choice to continue to reconnect/create even in the face of loss and change and disappointment (ok, I am projecting on the spider a bit with the last…).

Perhaps it’s a lesson about something we are infinitely familiar with or something new, something we can pass on to a friend or something we can learn from them. If we choose, there is the endless opportunity to watch, listen, learn, reflect –  and from that, grow, change, let go and blossom. If we stop and look, stop and feel, hear, smell and taste. A veritable spider’s web of possibilities for living this life in connection with others, with kind awareness and curiosity.

With a bow to Wonder Spider
Maitripushpa

from the WLBC Newsletter, 26 September 2024
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