Dear Friends,
Below I have copied a message from our beloved teacher Jack Kornfield. He never fails to quiet my mind and heart with his message. He touched on each of the Pāramīs we have been studying on Tuesday night last month. I hope you find some courage, patience, compassion and love from his message.
He writes:
Many of us wrestle with our response to the sufferings of the country and the world. With the torrent of news, it is easy to despair, to become cynical or numb. The Buddhist approach to this collective suffering is to turn toward it. We understand that genuine happiness and meaning will come through by tending to that suffering. It is here that we can learn true compassion, where we can bring our courageous heart in response. We overcome our own despair by helping others to overcome theirs. We might hear this and become afraid of being overwhelmed. But each of us can contribute to the sanity of the world.
Every wisdom tradition tells us that meaning and happiness cannot be found in isolation but come about through generosity, love and understanding. Nothing is separate. Unless we understand this, we are split between caring for ourselves or caring for the troubles of the world.
We are limited only by our imagination. Yes, there will always be suffering. Yes, greed and fear and ignorance will be part of our collective psychology. But this is not the end of the story. There are ways we can live wisely.
Modern neuroscience shows us that we can go beyond the primitive brain’s fearful responses and grow in mindfulness and compassion. Raising a loving family, running a conscious business, getting out the vote, standing up and righting an injustice all contribute to the fabric of the whole. Every one of us can sense this potential. We human beings can live with more compassion, with more care for one another. There are wise ways of solving conflict that await our hands and hearts.
The global pandemic continues to have a devasting impact on all forms of human gatherings. Governments, WHO and medical scientists warn society daily of our vulnerability to infection, sickness and death from Covid-19.
The Buddha gave immense emphasis to the importance of human gatherings for the purpose of ethics/mindfulness/meditation/inquiry/wisdom and an enlightened way of living. The Sangha (literally means 'gathering') has chanted for 2600 years "I go for refuge in the Sangha," as a jewel of existence.
We are social creatures. We experience our presence at retreats, religious services, weddings, funerals, schools, gymnasiums, work, shops, meetings, demonstrations, festivals, entertainment, sporting events and more.
The language of 'social distance and quarantine' dominates our lives with much time spent behind masks. We experience a massive reduction in the shaking of hands, touches of appreciation, hugs and kisses. We sit and queue apart from each other in public places.
We now have to rely upon our words and actions to touch people. Let us ensure we maintain and develop the skills and wisdom to reach out and touch people in various ways.
May you be happy peaceful and free of suffering.
Tammy
tamaradyer6@gmail.com
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