“Patience is the antidote to anger, a way to learn to love and care for whatever we meet on the path. By patience, we do not mean endurance — as in “grin and bear it.” In any situation instead of reacting suddenly, we could chew it, smell it, look at it, and open ourselves to…
“When the teachings tell us to “make friends with our emotions,” they mean to become more attentive and get to know them better. Being ignorant about emotions only makes matters worse; feeling guilty or ashamed of them does the same. Struggling against them is equally non-productive. The only way to dissolve their power is with…
“Everything is ambiguous; everything is always shifting and changing, and there are as many different takes on any given situation as there are people involved. Trying to find absolute rights and wrongs is a trick we play on ourselves to feel more secure and comfortable.” ~ Pema Chodron Think about this one, my friend. Absolutes…
“Traditionally it is said that the root of aggression and suffering is ignorance. But what is it that we are ignoring? Entrenched in the tunnel vision of our personal concerns, what we ignore is our kinship with others. One reason we train as warrior-bodhisattvas is to recognize our inter-connectedness — to grow in understanding that…
“To relate with others compassionately is a challenge. Really communicating from the heart and being there for someone else — our child, spouse, parent, client, patient, or the homeless woman on the street — means not shutting down on that person, which means, first of all, not shutting down on ourselves to feel what we…
“In cultivating loving kindness, we train first to be honest, loving, and compassionate toward ourselves. Rather than nurturing self-denigration, we begin to cultivate a clear-seeing kindness. Sometimes we feel good and strong. Sometimes we feel inadequate and weak. But our loving-kindness is unconditional. No matter how we feel, we can aspire to be happy. We…
“It is so basic in us to feel that things should go well for us, and that if we start to feel depressed, lonely, or inadequate, there’s been some kind of mistake or we’ve lost it. In reality, when you feel depressed, lonely, betrayed, or any unwanted feelings, this is an important moment on the…
“Patience is the antidote to anger, a way to learn to love and care for whatever we meet on the path. By patience, we do not mean endurance — as in “grin and bear it.” In any situation instead of reacting suddenly, we could chew it, smell it, look at it, and open ourselves to…
“Traditionally it is said that the root of aggression and suffering is ignorance. But what is it that we are ignoring? Entrenched in the tunnel vision of our personal concerns, what we ignore is our kinship with others. One reason we train as warrior-bodhisattvas is to recognize our inter-connectedness — to grow in understanding that…
“To relate with others compassionately is a challenge. Really communicating from the heart and being there for someone else — our child, spouse, parent, client, patient, or the homeless woman on the street — means not shutting down on that person, which means, first of all, not shutting down on ourselves to feel what we…