Tag: suffering

That Which We Believe.

Our life on this earth is often ‘wrought with trouble’ – or, at least that’s what they’d like you to believe.

Though I’d contend its an exercise of faith; a contemplation of presence against the promise of tomorrow.

As the light breaks, we shift to shield our eyes forgetting our fortitude within this aspect of unknowing. Have we not yet learned the capacity of this paradigm?

Even the ambient warmth may sting the unwilling eye.

Though our instinct is to hold fast, to cling to the tangled mess of this safety net.

And, yet – in our letting go we become….

Truly limitless.

In peace, my loves…

Namaste ❤

A True and Lasting Bliss.

Why is it that which we ‘need most of all’ often seems furthest from view? We bend, we stretch, we strain our neck on the promise of a prospect, and that is it.

And, yet – we realize this craving is the source of our unhappiness; a thirst that simply can not be quenched. When, in reality – getting what we ‘want’ doesn’t necessarily secure our bliss. Rather, it can – in time – prove our demise.

‘I want’…’I need’…’I must’…

How often does the ‘I’ prevail? Eliciting the cause of suffering; the energy building with each chasing of tail.

“Whatever is not yours: let it go. Your letting go will serve a longer-term benefit”

Because the letting go is what grants us freedom. And, this freedom is the only source of a true and lasting bliss.

In peace, my loves…

Namaste ❤️

A Love Undeterred.

“When I understand myself, I understand you,” Jiddu Krishnamurti once wrote. “and out of that understanding comes love.”

There is an aspect of self, which may feel undeserving. And, we may struggle within its pathlessness; determined to find our way against an ever-evolving course.

Though likewise, there is a simplicity; a resilience which serves to transform our growth. So long as we remain open to it, willing to accept an often unyielding truth.

Inherently, we understand our paradigm: that suffering leads to liberation. Yet still, we are hesitant to ‘suffer through it’. We fear what we feel we can not have.

Even though our life path is clear; we are born, we are broken…we rise up, we preserve. Still, there is this gnawing sense. Perhaps, it is this ‘undeserving self’ which hampers our journey?

Though, in holding on we soon discover a love that is undeterred.

In peace…

Namaste ❤️

Maintaining a Peaceful Heart in Troubled Times.

Albert Camus once wrote that we all carry within us, our places of exile – our crimes, our ravages. And, that our task is not to unleash them on this world, but rather to transform them within ourselves.

As I read through the current political commentaries and witness their impacts on an already unpredictable society – I am reminded of the opportunity we’ve been gifted, and the necessity to engage this sanctity within.

Each of us has experienced an unbearable suffering. And, each of us has known the grace of having found our ‘way’ again. Between the two, there exists a struggle – in which we either heal or become further entangled.

Though, how do we engage this energy of peace, as our emotions are invariably triggered? Do we respond with courage and fearlessness of heart, or – do we coalesce to the deafening cries? The Buddha taught that our world is, at best, a reflection; that true peace is possible only when the heart has healed. As we are bombarded with the imagery of a vastly unsettled world, we must find that delicate center of balance; that space where all exists without the ‘sway’.

Without the need to ‘bite the hook’…

Without the need to ‘settle the score’…

My darlings, can’t you see?

That when we permit the expansiveness of a boundless heart – we allow the possibility for ‘any future’ to unfold.

In peace, my loves…

Namaste ♥

In Finding Freedom.

When I first entered mindfulness training, I approached it as a means to ‘end my suffering.’ I wanted to be free of debilitating emotions – fear, loneliness, anger, unrest.

So much so, that these emotions became the center point of my focus. In doing so, I allowed them the space to deepen their roots.

“What you pay attention to grows,” shares Geneen Roth. And, it’s true.

Though, quite certainly inadvertent – still, we sacrifice our freedom for yet another spiritual chain. Thus, further bound by that which we are trying so desperate to escape.

And then one day I realized – there is no ‘escape’ from the suffering we experience. Rather, we must learn to look into and ultimately transform the energy of our pain.

As Thich Nhat Hanh teaches: without suffering, there can be no happiness. So we mustn’t be so discriminatory against the ‘mud’, rather we must learn to embrace with a soul-filling tenderness.

In time, perhaps we may successfully transition – from the role of ‘willful actor’ to that of ‘mindful observer.’

“What can we do transform our deep-rooted seeds of suffering?” he asks.

We may open to their lesson, instead of being limited by it.

A little something to consider, my friends…

With blessings of peace and love…

Namaste ❤️

Why Is There Suffering?

I had a question posted to me this morning:

“Given that we can do anything in this world, why then is there still so much suffering?”

The Buddha once spoke to the presence of suffering – noting that it was the true starting point of our spiritual practice. That is to say, if we’re not aware of our pain, how will we ever know what to heal?

Though a difficult reminder of the frailty of human form, it is powerful in its purpose – forcing through to that which fear may sometimes conceal. It is our truest, most authentic heart waiting to be revealed.

In Buddhist practice it is considered the first of the four noble truths – an awareness of our impermanence and the inevitability of change.

Subsequently, we are encouraged to seek the ‘root’ of our suffering – to understand it’s true nature and cause. This is the second of the four noble truths.

But this is not our stopping point, my loves. Rather, this fear, this upset, this volatility of emotion – all serve as a catalyst to the expansion of our inner awareness. It is through this exploration of spirit, that we may finally discover the means to heal.

This is the third of the four noble truths – representing the possibility of unburdening, and reminding us of our capacity to touch true joy within every moment.

And, finally – through the fourth, we are gifted the instruction to remove it, and with that our ultimate freedom.

Though, ironically – we can not find our way to truth, without first recognizing our pain

“These are liberating truths.” writes Thich Nhat Hanh “But we cannot seek for the other three if we do not accept the presence of the first.”

Why do we experience pain, my loves?

Perhaps, to awaken and to broaden compassion’s reach.

And, when you consider in those terms, my dearest darlings ~ suddenly, life’s upsets aren’t nearly as threatening.

Just a little something to consider, my friends.

In peace, namaste ~ ❤️

ps ~ How do you like this little bundle of love? I believe his heart can remove any and all troubles.

A Boundless Peace.

“Within each of us there is a silence – a silence as vast as the universe. We are afraid of it . . . and we long for it.

When we experience that silence, we remember who we are: creatures of the stars, created from the birth of galaxies, created from the cooling of this plane, created from dust and gas, created from the elements, created from time and space . . . created from silence.” – Gunilla Norris

I was recently invited to participate in a local research project – to help examine the role of mindfulness practice in longer-term patient care.

For those who are not aware, I am presently being treated for early-onset Parkinson’s disease. The experience of facing a life-altering diagnosis, can be daunting – to say the least. But, more profoundly, it is our experience within that diagnosis – our state of mind, so to speak – which may drastically alter the course of disease ‘progression.’ That is to say, though we may not be able to change our genetic destiny – we can find peace within it.

The Buddha taught that the best way to reduce our suffering was through the healing power of this present moment; an unassuming connection to the very nature of our being.

One with the capacity to transcend all that dreadful inner-chattering. This is the way of mindfulness, of opening our hearts fully to life, and allowing all to be, just as it is.

Be here now….sounds rather easy, now doesn’t it? But, just watch as something might threaten our ego – and, how quickly we relinquish this connection. We defend the impermanence of this emotion, more so than the sanctity of our being.

In truth, we are defending that ‘second arrow.’

The Buddha taught that it is only by way of looking into our suffering, that we might finally understand and relieve it.

I came to mindfulness practice because I was suffering. Though, I’d always been one to find the blessing in the challenge, in this case…I felt so completely overwhelmed. I was suffering, you see, at the hands of someone else’s misery. And, in that space – I lost all connection to self.

One night, I suppose, stood out as my ‘tipping point’ – in which the man I ‘loved’ announced he was ‘too embarrassed to be seen with me.’

The next morning, I did the only thing I knew how to do – I sat quietly beneath a tree and breathed.

In the silence, I could feel the sting of his words…

“You’re not good enough…”

“I never loved you…”

“You’ll never find someone as good as me…”

Look, I know it’s not always easy to sit with our pain. Habit urges us to run, to lash out, to defend – to move away from the pain.

But, in doing so – we lose a vital chance to understand.

In her book, Sharing Silence, Gunilla Norris writes:

“Through the practice of silence we become aware
of our pain. The pain is always there—in our minds
and in our bodies. Silence allows us to see it,
face it, release it.

By cultivating silence, we can find and release
deeper and deeper levels of pain and so discover
once again what is beneath the pain:
the natural joy that is already inside us,
free to rise and flow into experience.”

It is the rigidness of emotion which keeps us locked to our pain. The sting of someone’s words, the haunting image of another’s actions.

Though, it may be our instinct to flee – we must remember, there is a vital lesson to be learned. That is to say, in silence, we begin to see. And, with open heart, we begin to soften to our pain.

But always, within each soul-filling breath…my darlings, there is a boundless peace.