“Things have improved so much in Tibet!” enthused our hotel manager who has been looking after our co-living and co-working group.
“The Chinese government has invested a lot in infrastructure and even monasteries are open.”
I wanted to believe him. But my own experience of global geopolitics gave rise to a different intuition of a more complex picture. Seeing a discreet Free Tibet (and Free Gaza) sign, the absence of Tibet on official maps, and my own knowledge of what it’s like to be a second class citizen with limited rights to work, travel, and access land provoked some grief. The persisting injustices in the world, rising polarisation within and between nations, intensification of ecological disasters are likely to increase the number of refugees and disenfranchised people in the world in the coming years.
THE WISDOM OF UNCERTAINTY
With the enormous shifts taking place in our lives politically, economically, and technologically, the uncertainty feels overwhelming some days and it’s hard to know where to take a next step.
But simple moments of connection and kindness offer solace, a sense of grounding, and renewed inspiration. The smile on an elder Tibetan woman named Dorje Dolma who ran her own stall selling beautiful crafts in a refugee village (officially a ‘Tibetan Community’) reminded me that we don’t have to be victims of circumstance, no matter how hard.
Her warm patience in teaching me how to use a Tibetan singing bowl, which she charged a healthy market price for and I was very happy to pay, reminded me of the wisdom and love of elders as well as the strength of women. The ephemeral nature of sound represented the uncertainty of life but also its beauty. Her steadiness of mind was astounding - an encouragement for my own meditation practice.
DIGNITY OF CHOICE AS AN ANTIDOTE TO COLLAPSE
Of course, I felt gratitude mixed with some sadness at not being able to do more to help. But her smile spoke of trust in life against the odds, and unassailable human dignity. My own grandmothers spoke knowingly of things always changing…
Whatever you’re facing today, remember that all things pass - it’s the liberating truth of impermanence. The way of liberation teaches that the manner with which we choose to face the impossibly hard matters as much as (if not more than) what we do about it. Facing it together is better. We can always make that choice.
To Liberation,
Amina
P.S. Here is the new page for The Sanctuary 2025. If you’re looking for a space to sensemake, process your challenges, and clarify your next steps amid uncertainty as a mission-driven leader or professional, reach out for an exploratory conversation or book a time to talk here. If you have questions, just reply to this message.
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