BLOG 140
March 9, 2025
THE END GAME
“The final stage of some process, as in ‘The book discussed the diplomatic end game resulting in the treaty’. This term, dating from about 1880, comes from chess, where it denotes the stage of a game when most of the pieces have been removed from the board. In the mid-1900s it began to be transferred to other activities.” (Dictionary.com)
While whale watching yesterday morning I learned how to spot what is sometimes called the “footprint”, a patch of extra-smooth water that remains after a whale dives from the surface into the depths. The amount of time a whale stays in the depths varies with maturity, the older whales staying under for fifteen to twenty minutes on average, while baby whales come up for breath much more often. Despite the fact that a whale can travel great distances from its “footprint” until it next resurfaces, I often find myself staring at that footprint and willing the whale to come surging out of the water at the same approximate spot. Hopefully to perform a spectacular breach. More often than not, the whale surfaces a few hundred yards away, and can easily be missed if I’m mesmerized by its footprint. Otherwise known as living in the past.
Swami Radha talks about journaling as a way to track one’s footprints, with a view to learning from past words and actions so as not to perpetuate our mistakes. Catching myself in this somewhat fruitless pattern of focusing on traces of a retreating whale sparked the insight that I might (just possibly) be doing the same backwards-glancing in other facets of my life. How often do I catch myself ruminating about a past experience such that I fail to experience the present moment? Unresolved issues, or unfinished business (karma) can set me up for a pattern of perpetuating my mistakes, or in some way resurrecting past situations that have yet to be resolved.
What to do when that happens? What would be the point of reflecting regularly on daily events? To what “end game” or aim does one cultivate a consistent spiritual practice? As in chess, where precedents have been laid by earlier manœuvres, so too, at a certain stage of life the die seems cast by the cumulative effect of past words and actions. Though they say it’s never too late, what gives one the incentive to change? And can we voluntarily cooperate with our evolution, or fulfill our potential for growth, without having to experience the cosmic 2×4 that rudely shakes us out of our complacency? And once that wake-up call has been heard, how to go about responding?
Building on the advice that I heard repeatedly at Yasodhara Ashram, I have taught myself to “take it into my practices”. Take my confusion and/or sorrow, my grudges and/or resentments into my reflections, and enhance my clarity through any number of centering practices.
One such practice bears mentioning here. Called “functioning from my heart center”, this practice is a walking meditation aimed at lifting energy from the lower three centers — the first, second and third chakras — to the fourth, or heart center, where the self-centeredness of ego gives way to other-centeredness, the altruism of a wisdom that nobody wins unless everybody wins. While this may sound naive in the extreme, it is not unachievable. And it is the last great hope of a civilization that seems bent on self-destruction.
To perform this practice one stands with the hands cupped gently in the space just below the navel. The hands then lift an imaginary ball of healing light up to chest level, and then rounds the arms forward, up and out to describe an ever-expanding circle that concludes back below the navel. This motion is repeated while walking at a gentle pace and reciting the mantra silently or aloud: “I am functioning from my heart center, I am functioning from my heart center”, etc. As we do so, we visualize ourselves drawing up any negative emotions or stagnant energy from our lower centers and transforming them in this ball of healing light, then sharing with the world our positive intention. In such a way we are more capable of transcending the ego and responding objectively and constructively to whatever life presents.
At this stage of my life, where “most of the pieces have been removed from the board”, (including several nice but non-essential bits and bobs) I subscribe to the approach of Swami Radha:
“I have often said in a prayer, “My mind is so clever, it can interpret anything in any way it wants. Make it so that I won’t have that chance. Make it very clear, with no question about it.” If it’s too tough, then it’s a matter of humility to say, “I need help to see this. Please help me.” Otherwise, you could really ruin the rest of your life.
“I have been hammering at conscious cooperation for many lifetimes. Sometime, if you really want to understand and know, you may find out more about your life and how many lives have converged into this one to give you this chance to undo, to rebuild, and to build entirely anew.” (Ch. 41, “Karma”, Time to be Holy)
Aum Namah Sivayah,
Otherwise known as “happy hammering” to you…