Lanes & Frames Of Reference

Folsom Street – one of Boulder’s primary downtown north-south traffic corridors – was recently subject to a so-called “right-sizing.” What exactly does this mean? Prior to its right-sizing, the street had featured two lanes of traffic in each direction (for a total of four) along with narrow bike lanes on its outer edges. The right-sizing procedure reduced motorized traffic-flow to a single lane in each direction (for a total of two) and greatly widened the bike lanes, along with adding a series of short reflective posts – one every four or five feet -- along the border between the auto and bike lanes.


In effect, then, the right-sizing made travel on Folsom Street a lot more pleasant and safe for cyclists, and considerably more crowded and slow for motorists. Prior to the right-sizing, cars would whiz by within inches of the cyclists. Now, this distance is a couple feet at least, with a physical barrier (the reflective posts) separating the car- and bike-lanes. Prior to the right-sizing, motorized vehicles had a leisurely two lanes to play with, in each direction; while the cyclists were restricted to a tight single-file formation. Now the single lane for cars is of course much more congested, with left-turn stoppages and the like bringing things to a crawl, or halt, much more frequently; while bikers can now ride two or even three abreast, in their newly widened and protected lane.

As you can imagine, the response to this right-sizing has been, shall we say, less than uniformly enthusiastic. While cyclists are ecstatic, and progressive-minded motorists with an eye for the “big picture” have been patiently accepting, there’s a sizable contingent who are genuinely vexed: irked, annoyed and even outraged by this new arrangement.

For the latter, the so-called right-sizing is not at all “right” – on the contrary, it’s downright inconvenient, and more aptly designated as “wrong-sizing”!

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Right-Sizing Our Life

Our decision to engage in spiritual practice -- to shift our focus to a more contemplative or inward-facing “channel” – can be thought of as a kind of right-sizing similar to the right-sizing of Folsom Street. It’s a turning of attention that reflects a change in priorities.

The flow of phenomena – perceptions, sensations, thoughts and internal images – that defines our “worldly life” (i.e. “self” plus “world”) is akin to the flow of trucks, cars and motorcycles in the street’s motor-lanes. It’s a generally noisy and high-speed affair, aswirl with toxic fumes.

The flow of Awareness – the subtle undercurrent of Presence – that is the substance of our “inner life” is akin to the flow of cyclists in the street’s bike-lanes: more spacious, quiet and clean.

Being deeply identified with and embroiled in external activity -- the acquisition (or avoidance) and maintenance (or destruction) of phenomenal “things” -- can feel like racing along a four-lane, six-lane, eight-lane highway. In comparison to such chaos, the tiny bike-lane – the “channel” of Awareness -- is barely noticeable.

As we feel drawn toward entering a contemplative path – taking a ride in the non-phenomenal “lane” of  Presence, tuning in to the Mind of Tao – there will be a right-sizing that quite naturally occurs. We’ll create structures in our life that support these sorts of explorations, that support a widening access to the Awareness lane. This may be something as simple as devoting fifteen or twenty minutes daily to a qigong practice; or just sitting quietly, in “being” rather than “doing” mode, for several minutes first thing in the morning. The structure that we create might include a physical one, say a meditation hut, or a martial arts studio. It might be the gently-held intention to turn the light around: to notice what is noticing, as we move through our day.

There will come a time when such physical and psychic structures will be less important: when the Awareness-lane will effortlessly permeate the entire street, so to speak. For beginners, however, carving out a mental-emotional and physical space -- to signify, validate and support our commitment to the practice – like the ease and safety of a well-maintained and expansive bike-lane -- can be really helpful.

So, I would say: go boldly forward with the right-sizing of your life – irrespective even of the most loudly-grumbling of motorists :)

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