In love with the world - 14. Learning to swim

Contributors

Carles

Key points of previous chapter

Summary of this chapter

Rinpoche still hesitate to let go the security of the bedroom.  What stops him is aversion, and he self-criticise for that.  Behind the resistance there is a wish for happiness: unskilful means for happiness, but the intentions were basically sane.

Life is impermanence, this is why flowers blossom and faint.  Reflecting, accepting that we can become more comfortable with dying every day.

The practice of kindness: may I have happiness, may I be free.  Rinpoche practice loving kindness and compassion until the feeling gets deep and clear in him, and his heart opened.  

Then he turned his attention to the people in the station.  Compassion is not [only] about the suffering of poverty and sickness, but the ignorance that provokes the misconception that the phenomena are real in ways they are not.  Rinpoche continue practicing until he felt arising unconditional love for the mother of the family.  The he expanded to the whole family and finally to all the people in the station.

The practice pacified Rinpoche's mind.  Although he managed, he struggled.  He faced this challenge like a swimmer face wild waters.  Rinpoche also reconnected with his motivation: I am not giving up.

Question

Remind a difficult moment in your life. What were the values, the motivation that helped you, that guided you during this difficult moment?

Meditation

Motivation