Rather than thinking endlessly about what might work and trying this and trying that, in a kind of trial-and-error method, perhaps we should try looking into the depths. If we do, I suggest that we will find not what we as individuals think; rather, we will come face-to-face with what the other suffering beings need, and we will uncover what the natural world itself knows. We must begin, before it is too late, to listen to the ensuing silence.

~ Reggie Ray, Touching Enlightenment

The 100th Monkey is an apocryphal tale, but never mind. We still hold out hope that we will reach that cosmic critical mass, the point at which the scales will tip at last in favor of life without our having to do the actual tipping ourselves.

Unfortunately, while we’re all sitting criss-cross applesauce, looking into the depths and listening to the ensuing silence, there are malevolent beings among us who would drain the last drop of rain from the skies in order to sell it to us or let us die of thirst.

I value my meditation practice. But I hold no illusions about its capacity to save the world. By all means, let us listen to that ensuing silence. But let us also try this and try that. We need every tool in the box. Here’s a hammer. Here’s a pencil. Here’s a brick. Here’s a song.