Contemplating Caterpillars and Metamorphosis

FEATURES

Home » Features » Buddhist Practice » Contemplating Caterpillars and Metamorphosis

Contemplating Caterpillars and Metamorphosis

By Margaret Meloni, PhD
January 22, 2025

Things are about to be different. The change in administration in the United States has created a whirlpool of uncertainty around what will happen to our country and to our democracy. Some people are going to be very happy with what transpires, and others will not be happy. We might think that we know what will happen and who will benefit, but we don’t know everything. And we don’t control anything.

Things are going to be different; we are going to be different. Sometimes, I find myself on a path of fear-based questions too numerous to list here, in search of answers that I can’t find. The basis of all of these questions is the thought—the fear—that everything I love about the United States is about to be torn apart, turned inside out, and ripped to shreds.

Other times, I remind myself that when something burns completely to the ground, you rebuild. You create something even better. But first, you have to lose almost everything; you have to let things go. This can be extremely painful.

It’s these thoughts that have somehow led me to think about caterpillars and metamorphosis.

Caterpillars don’t have a say in if or when they will turn into butterflies. A caterpillar will undergo metamorphosis if it lives long enough, barring any biological malfunction. The process is complex and involves multiple stages. At one point, the caterpillar’s body breaks down and becomes liquid. This caterpillar “soup” reorganizes and rebuilds itself into a completely new entity—a butterfly.

Since insects have different nervous systems than mammals, this process may not be painful. We cannot always say the same about our own encounters with transformation.

We also undergo a process of metamorphosis and have our own types of breakdowns. And when we make it through this process, we are different; we have created a new version of ourselves.

Change is unavoidable. It can also be dramatic. It can result in a butterfly, and that is beautiful.

You might think that this is the part where I tell you that the end result is always beautiful. And that a difficult transformation is always justified by the result. I can’t promise you that. After the transition, things will be different; you will be different.

All of this is playing out within the larger context of karma. Sometimes, we see how things play out, and we understand how a loss was a gain or how a perceived win led to a setback. At other times, we cannot see how our karma is ripening. We just have to trust that karma is at work.

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change. — Charles Darwin

Going through change is not easy for anyone. During certain stages of its transformation, the caterpillar has no defense against predators. Metamorphosis takes a considerable amount of energy, yet the process can’t be abandoned before it is seen through to completion.

What happens if a caterpillar does not undergo the essential metamorphosis? There will be no butterfly. If enough caterpillars do not complete this transformation, the survival of the entire species will be at risk. At a minimum, the caterpillar is more vulnerable and unlikely to live long. We are no different.

We may face weakness, and feel tempted to stop the process of adapting to change, or feel unable to deal with difficult people and situations. We might think we have a say in whether or not we go through with metamorphosis. But whether or not we participate willingly, there will be a transition. We do not know what the result will look like, but at the very least the process calls for us to let go of the past and become more patient and resilient.

If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude. — Maya Angelou

While you might not like the changes you see happening, you can emerge from the process as a stronger person. Transitions that you happily anticipate bring you joy. Transitions that you dread can bring you strength. You can develop new skills and new ways to work on clinging and aversion. If you do not like what is going on around you, yet you cannot change it, then draw on your practice. You might need to let go of your perceptions of how you want things to be. Or at least open up to new ways of being in, and working under, less-than-ideal situations.

We will all be going through change. It will require us to draw on our practice and our resilience. To contemplate the idea of suffering. To examine our role in our suffering. To support each other throughout the process. We don’t know what is waiting for us. We do know that this is an excellent time to connect more deeply with the wisdom of the Dhamma.

Margaret Meloni, PhD

Margaret Meloni is a Theravada Buddhist practitioner, businessperson, and the author of Carpooling with Death: How living with Death will make you Stronger, Wiser and Fearless. One day, while navigating the demands of everyday life; she realized that more significant challenges were coming her way. She began to realize that the people she loved were going to die. Her mother-in-law, Lee, was in her 90s, her parents were approaching their 80s, and her husband, Ed, had already outlived his father. She had already said goodbye to others. She began to wonder, “How can I handle losing the people I love the most?” The answer to her question came from her reliance on her Buddhist practice. Now that she has made friends with death, her goal is to help all of us to accept death as an essential part of life. Death Dhamma is published monthly.

All Authors >>