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Lessons of LIFE
What's NOT Wrong?
We
often ask, "What's wrong?" Doing so, we invite painful seeds of sorrow to come
up and manifest. We feel suffering, anger and depression, and produce more such
seeds. We would be much happier if we tried to stay in touch with the healthy,
joyful seeds inside of us and around us. We should learn to ask, "What's now
wrong?" and be in touch with that. There are so many elements in the world and
within our bodies, feelings, perceptions, and consciousness that are wholesome,
refreshing, and healing. If we block ourselves, if we stay in the prison of our
sorrow, we will not be in touch with these healing elements.
Life is filled with many
wonders, like the blue sky, the sunshine, the eyes of a baby. Our breathing, for
example, can be very enjoyable. I enjoy breathing everyday. But many people
appreciate the joy of breathing only when they have asthma or a stuffed-up nose.
We don't need to wait until we have asthma to enjoy our breathing. Awareness of
the precious elements of happiness is itself the practice of right mindfulness.
Elements like these are within us and all around us. In each second of our lives
we can enjoy them. If we do so, seeds of peace, joy, and happiness will be
planted in us, and they will become strong. The secret to happiness is happiness
itself. Wherever we are, any time, we have the capacity to enjoy the sunshine,
the presence of each other, the wonder of our breathing. We don't have to travel
anywhere else to do so. We can be in touch with these things right now. -- Thich
Nhat Hanh
“Have you ever been in love? Horrible isn't it?
It makes you so vulnerable.
It opens your chest and it opens up your heart and it means that someone can get
inside you and mess you up. You build up all these defenses, you build up a
whole suit of armor, so that nothing can hurt you, then one stupid person, no
different from any other stupid person, wanders into your stupid life...You give
them a piece of you. They didn't ask for it. They did something dumb one day,
like kiss you or smile at you, and then your life isn't your own anymore.
Love takes hostages. It gets inside you. It eats you out and leaves you crying
in the darkness, so simple a phrase like 'maybe we should be just friends' turns
into a glass splinter working its way into your heart. It hurts. Not just in the
imagination. Not just in the mind. It's a soul-hurt, a real
gets-inside-you-and-rips-you-apart pain. I hate love.” -- Neil Gaiman
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