Resistance to change: Voluntary self-destruction
In ancient Greece, there was a former slave named Aesop who earned his freedom by telling stories of animals and nature as a hidden way to teach humans the foolishness of their ways of thinking. In his fable “The Ant and the Grasshopper,” Aesop taught the importance of thinking ahead. With the story “The Lion and the Mouse,” he taught that even the strongest may need help. In the following fable, “The Oak and the Reeds,” we learn about the consequences of resistance to change.
A Giant Oak stood near a brook in which grew some slender Reeds. When the wind blew, the great Oak stood proudly upright with its hundred arms uplifted to the sky. But the Reeds bowed low in the wind and sang a sad and mournful song.
“You have reason to complain,” said the Oak. “The slightest breeze that ruffles the surface of the water makes you bow your heads, while I, the mighty Oak, stand upright and firm before the howling tempest.”
“Do not worry about us,” replied the Reeds. “The winds do not harm us. We bow before them and so we do not break. You, in all your pride and strength, have so far resisted their blows. But the end is coming.”
As the Reeds spoke, a great hurricane rushed out of the north. The Oak stood proudly and fought against the storm, while the yielding Reeds bowed low. The wind redoubled in fury, and, all at once, the great tree fell, torn up by the roots, and lay among the pitying Reeds.
The lesson or moral of the tale? It is better to yield when it is foolish to resist, than to resist stubbornly and be destroyed.
In its ego mind of self-importance, the Giant Oak chose to belittle the wisdom of the Reeds. In its choice to be unaware of the dangers of a hurricane, the Giant Oak was too stubborn and prideful to bend to forces stronger than himself. In its voluntary unawareness, the Giant Oak was torn from its roots and destroyed by the winds of the hurricane simply because it chose to resist change.
Resistance to change is what keeps us stuck in unawareness and eventually destroys us. Unawareness can be described as a lack of understanding or knowledge of the true nature of a situation or problem. Unawareness, whether voluntary or involuntary, creates misunderstandings, confusion, and poor decision-making. Unawareness is the culprit of all of our problems including but not limited to emotional and mental pain, fears, conflicts, and even illness.
Just like with the Giant Oak, it is a huge blow to the ego mind and to the body when we are presented with information that contradicts what we have always believed to be true. Simply anticipating talking to someone who does not agree with your point of view can create resistance in the body which leads to emotional and physical stress. Resistance to the possibility of change is much like the feeling of dread knowing that you have to do something that you just do not want to do, like speaking in front of an unruly crowd. As you begin imagining this possibility, you start telling yourself, “I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to do this” and the body responds physically. Blood pressure increases, the heart begins to race, and the body becomes tense. This self-imposed stress makes you feel uncomfortable, anxious, and even fearful. As the mental and emotional resistance continues, the body may begin to shake and tremble. As the negative emotions continue to build up, the body looks for a physical release. Crying, arguing, and avoiding rather than talking things through in compassion and understanding are ways humans deal with conflicting information.
For example, many church leaders confidently preach that God’s love is unconditional. They also teach that because God makes no mistakes, each child is born the way they are for a reason. Both of these statements are true. God loves and accepts all of his creations, including ALL of His children…straight, gay, transgender, etc.
If you are feeling any sense of discomfort just reading this information, you are feeling resistance.
Even though many humans say that God is a God of love and that God makes no mistakes, many refuse to believe that we are here on this earth to learn to love like God. So instead of learning to accept and love ourselves and others in our differences, we create emotional and physical conflict with those who are different from us. God, just like any loving parent, loves you for who you are and only wants you to be healthy, happy, and whole. As God instructed the prophet Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).
“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:36-39) All of God’s commandments are based on love. Love of the self first and then love of others. In their resistance, humans have used the law to judge and have forgotten how to love. Learn from the Giant Oak: Resistance to change is voluntary self-destruction. Mother Owl.
