The Journey Downward

From: Pema Chödrön at Shambhala
http://www.shambhala.com/contact-us

• Spiritual awakening is frequently described as a journey to the top of a mountain. In the process of discovering bodhichitta [the awakened heart], the journey goes down, not up. It’s as if the mountain pointed toward the center of the earth instead of reaching into the sky. Instead of transcending the suffering of all creatures, we move toward the turbulence and doubt. We explore the reality and unpredictability of insecurity and pain, and we try not to push it away. If it takes years, if it takes lifetimes, we let it be as it is. At our own pace, without speed or aggression, we move down and down and down. With us move millions of others, our companions in awakening from fear. At the bottom we discover water, the healing water of bodhichitta. Right down there in the thick of things, we discover the love that will not die. 

Being Open

This quote is from Pema Chödrön (Pema's Site.) I believe it puts many things into perspective. I do not believe that it means we shouldn't enjoy our comforts, just that we shouldn't take them for granted and that we should do what we can, when we can, for others.

June 19, 2013 OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO OPEN These days the world really needs people who are willing to let their hearts, their bodhicitta, ripen.  There’s such widespread devastation and suffering: people are being run over by tanks or their houses are being blown up or soldiers are knocking on their doors in the middle of the night and taking them away and torturing them and killing their children and their loved ones. People are starving.  It’s a hard time. We who are living in the lap of luxury with our pitiful little psychological problems have a tremendous responsibility to let our clarity and our heart, our warmth, and our ability ripen, to open up and let go, because it’s so contagious.

The links on this weekly quote are not working but if you want to know more about Pema Chödrön go to http://pemachodronfoundation.org

Hope & Fear

Besides good advice, I have highlighted why I so like Ms. Chödrön's advice.

March 20, 2013

WE CAN’T JUST JUMP OVER OURSELVES

Hope and fear come from feeling that we lack something; they come from a sense of poverty. We can’t simply relax with ourselves. We hold on to hope, and hope robs us of the present moment. We feel that someone else knows what’s going on, but that there’s something missing in us, and therefore something is lacking in our world.

Rather than letting our negativity get the better of us, we could acknowledge that right now we feel like a piece of shit and not be squeamish about taking a good look. That’s the compassionate thing to do. That’s the brave thing to do. We can’t just jump over ourselves as if we were not there. It’s better to take a straight look at all our hopes and fears. Then some kind of confidence in our basic sanity arises. 

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