No Parking on the Life Floor – This Too Shall Pass

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gomCkCbKHA4&w=930&h=440]

I’ve heard the phrase “This too shall pass” all my life in the context of unpleasant circumstances, as in “Things will get better soon.” I was very surprised to learn recently that this is not at all the point! What it actually means is very much worth knowing and, in fact, ends up being essentially the opposite of how the phrase is commonly used.

I have heard two separate versions of the story now. In one, an unnamed king assembles his wise men to create a phrase that will help him not be too happy in the good times or too sad in the bad times. In the other, the king is Solomon, and this version has several variations. In one, Solomon sends out one advisor he wants to humble on what he considers a fool’s errand: to find a ring that, when looked upon, makes a happy man sad and a sad man happy. In another variation, the king sends all his advisors out to look for the magical ring. In either case, an advisor asks a wise old jeweler, who inscribes the phrase into the ring.

So, you can see that the phrase was not meant merely to cheer someone up, but to create an equanimity of spirit. Or, to adapt a phrase from the band Midnight Star: No parking on the life floor. Don’t get stuck in the mire of occasional sadness, but understand that it is a small part of eternity. Yes, feel and process your sadness, but know that it won’t last forever. In the same way, don’t get too excited about the high points of life, because they don’t last, either. Don’t park your life in a high or a low spot. Keep moving with the flow of life. Take things as they come. Be present to everything.

What’s not surprising is that the phrase has taken on only the allegedly “positive” meaning in our culture. It doesn’t make sense, or so our culture would tell us, to be disturbed in a high or positive moment by the idea that it won’t last. What a downer! But whatever you do, look on the bright side. This unpleasant thing will pass, and then you can get on with your life. But what is life if not a series of sorrows and joys?

“When the king received his ring and read the inscription, his sorrows turned to joy and his joy to sorrows, and then both gave way to equanimity.” Isn’t that beautiful? This view of life doesn’t demand anything from the world. It accepts what is. It takes the long view.

Incidentally, one version of the story has King Solomon searching for the ring because “When I feel satisfied, I’m afraid that it won’t last. And when I don’t, I am afraid my sorrow will go on forever.” Solomon is considered an Enneagram Type 7, and these statements seem right in keeping with the 7’s running after external things to keep their mood “up,” all the while knowing that satisfaction will be fleeting, and the 7 fear of being trapped in pain. So, maybe it’s not a fable after all…

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