Over these past several weeks, in my own practice and in our gatherings, we have been exploring the practice of letting go — releasing habits that keep us stuck so we can live more fully aligned with our deeper intentions.

Our next step in that journey turns toward something very human: the judges we carry around.

And our judges are so versatile! Sometimes they point inward with critiques and blame. Other times, they point outward with anger or aversion towards other people or specific life events.

Either way, they have a way of asserting their righteousness and persuading us to take actions rooted in justice.

“Cut that driver off who didn’t let you through — they don’t deserve to be on the road!”

This week, the theme surfaced for me in an unexpected place: a few evenings watching the series Dark Winds. The show follows Navajo police lieutenant Joe Leaphorn as he navigates crimes, moral dilemmas, and his own complicated past.

What struck me wasn’t the mystery itself, but the way Leaphorn carries his internal struggles. There is grief there. Losing a son. Losing his marriage. And fear. Fear of real and inner demons.

Yet in facing his pain and fears, their hold on him slowly loosens.

In Buddhist teachings, our challenging thoughts and emotions are sometimes personified as Mara — that force that keeps us away from higher selves and our enlightenment. When Mara appeared to him, the Buddha didn’t fight but was reported to have said:

“I see you, Mara.” And even, “Let’s have tea.”

When I try this myself, I often find my Maras resemble the Wizard of Oz — big and intimidating at first, but smaller and more timid behind the curtain. Often scared themselves about something.

So lately I’ve been experimenting with inviting these threatening (or sometimes just annoying) Maras into awareness. Letting them speak. Allowing them to make their case over tea.

And then — like guests whose visit has come to an end — letting them go.

The Tibetan meditation teacher Mingyur Rinpoche puts it this way:

“Ultimately, happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of being aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them.”

Neither option is entirely comfortable. But awareness gives us something judgment never can: freedom.

Instead of spiraling into self-criticism or resentment, we can notice what is present, allow it to move through, and gently, as Hugh Byrne teaches us, change the channel.

And as the season itself begins to change its channel, here’s to all of us moving away from the habitual Judgement Channel and exploring the shows on Kindness and Compassion!