3/11/11

Goddess of the Week: Green Tara or Durga, It Just Depends

Green Tara, Kumbum, Gyantse, Tibet, 1993Image via WikipediaVanda needs a goddess to help her deal with a stupid boss. Vanda, Vanda, Vanda...haven't we all been there? This is tough though because stupid bosses can fire you, and being unemployed is usually worse than having a stupid boss.

I'm going to give you a choice. You can take the kick-ass Hindu goddess Durga or the compassionate Buddhist goddess Green Tara. It just depends on whether you are more the slay-your-demon or the pity-your-demon type.

I used to be the slay-your-demon type, but to be honest with you, all that anger and fighting and decapitating monsters is exhausting. Frankly, all I really want to do after work is watch TV or maybe enjoy a movie featuring one of my secret boyfriends. Getting worked up about annoying co-workers? That's a lot of blah, blah, blah. Who needs it?

In my old age, I'm really striving to be the pity-your-demon type. Life is hard for all of us, even the stupid bosses among us. We can be a brick wall or we can be a flowing river. Nothing good ever comes from bringing brick walls and stupid people together. But put together a stupid person and a flowing river and what do you get? A wet stupid person and a river that has momentarily diverted its course but not its destination.

I recommend that you become the flowing river. Green Tara can help you there. When confronting stupidity, take a deep breath and practice compassion. "Who is this stupid boss? Why is he so stupid? Poor stupid boss. It must be hard being you." These are the ideas you must ponder. Relax. Let go. Remember, be the flowing river.

But, if that won't work for you. Choose Durga and kick his ass.

Channel these goddesses: Use your best judgment here. (But try and be the river. It usually ends better.)

Need a goddess? I got goddesses! Post a comment explaining what you need or want a goddess for. Then check back in a week or two and see who you got.
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25 comments:

Unknown said...

Another wonderful post! I'm in full support of throwing stupid people into a river! ;)

Mairie said...

Great fondness for Durga, would like to be more ike Tara - it just depends... at least we get to choose. :)

Tony Van Helsing said...

I think my boss IS Durga.

Stacey said...

Very, very good advice.

Jean Spitzer said...

I like the choice: you've equipped Vanda with good alternatives.

Joanne said...

I like the sound of Green Tara too. Let the river wash away all those boss troubles and go with the flow ...

Katie said...

How am I supposed to hold onto the "slay-your-demon" thoughts about my stupid boss after you've made such an eloquent and convincing argument that "pity-your-demons" is the way to true enlightenment? I hope this helps Vanda, because it's sure helped me!

Pasadena Adjacent said...

I'm feeling bad for Tony now. Plus he's got a dutch last name. That makes me feel tribally protective of him.

Cafe Pasadena said...

I'm not sure if I want a stupid, or smart, boss...

But I do know I want a smart chef, smart mechanic, smart doctor, smart teacher, smart woman, etc.

TheChieftess said...

Ohhhhh...am I glad I put my coffee down and swallowed before I read “But put together a stupid person and a flowing river and what do you get? A wet stupid person and a river that has momentarily diverted its course but not its destination.”

Classic...

Been there...I'm sure, on both sides of the river!!!

Curly said...

I'm too lucky on this department. I love my two bosses and they are super nice to me.. but it's only fair as my love life sucks and I am worried sick about a family member who will undergo surgery in a week!
At least one thing is going the right way!
Lovely and funny as usual! :-)

Vanda said...

Thanks Margaret! Personally I'd prefer to be lake high in the mountains, deep and cold un-annoyed by rocks.

Petrea Burchard said...

There's always the possibility of a drowned stupid person.

Watson said...

I'm tending to slide over to the Green Tara side as I age. I love this post. Thanks Margaret.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

I like the idea of "drowned stupid person" unless I'm selected

Desiree said...

It just depends. Being a greedy teacher, I'd advise Vanda to take them both

claire bangasser said...

Margaret, I was truly wondering what you were driving at by placeing Green Tara and Durga side by side. Then, of course, it made sense.
I like Durga. I brought back a terra cota of her which I hung outside our frontdoor.
But I agree with you, I think with age, it gets easier to feel sorry for the poor bugger than to kick ass. The old energy is gone.
Thanks to you, I will now pray and bless an irascible and difficult neighbor.
A big hug for the help!

TheChieftess said...

I think as we get older, we are able to see both sides of whatever situation is getting to us...which for me, takes the fight out!!!

Susan Campisi said...

Decapitating monsters is exhausting! I'm basically lazy so I like the flowing river option. It takes less energy.

Star said...

Reminds me of one of my (many) favorite quotes from Marcus Aurelius' "Meditations"; to paraphrase: "If a lion is in your path...take another path!" Marcus is the best! You, too, Margaret! Thanks so much for your posts!

Laurie Allee said...

Really digging Durga.

Margaret, if you don't write a goddess encyclopedia, it will be criminal! It will be a best seller and, hey, you can get Charlie Sheen to write a pull quote!

Ok, maybe not that last thing.

This is great, my friend.

thatwiccanmilitarywife said...

My mother passed earlier this week and no one is holding services for her until har birthday in late July. Most of my family is christan so I want to do a pagan ceremony honorng her new path and to help me with the adjsting to the fact she's not here right now. I know Ēostre is just around the corner so do you have any death/rebirth goddesses that can aid me?

Margaret said...

Christina! I somehow lost your comment and now I can't remember the particular of the goddess you need. Do you mind reposting your comment?

Margaret said...

Christina! I found it!

Deb @ PaperTurtle said...

I used to work with a woman who was, hands down, the most difficult person I've ever worked with. Everyone at work hated her, which in turn made me feel really sorry for her. Anyway, she used to regularly email quotes to the entire office with these philisophical meanings. One day she sent one that said, "Be patient with grumpy people, you never know what they might be going through" (or something like that). Her behavior didn't change, but my attitude toward her did. Good lesson for us all!