A Heart Full of Peace

Opening to suffering is the doorway to compassion;

It is important to see compassion as a practice. Sometimes we may feel it, sometimes not. At times, the suffering we encounter may seem too much and we may need to back off, close off a little, to prevent being overwhelmed. At such times, we need to create a space where we can regain our strength and balance. From a place of renewed strength, we ca

hatred never ceases through hatred; it ceases only in response to love.

Especially at the beginning of the practice, most of us get in touch with some physical pain. And then there are our various reactions to it: fear, self-pity, defensiveness, or avoidance. Mostly, we just don’t like it. We try to just “watch the pain” but really we are trying to bargain with it: “I’ll watch you… if you go away.”

“If you say that seven hours walk is too long to walk for two families of patients, you’re saying that their lives matter less than some others. And the idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that’s wrong with the world.”

By making right speech an active part of our spiritual path, we can bring wisdom and sensitivity to what we say.

Justifying feelings is quite different than being mindful of them. From justifying comes a strong feeling of self-righteousness.

Unnoticed, thoughts have great power.

Genuine happiness does not come from accumulating pleasant feelings.