Dear Subscriber First Name,‘I don’t think there’s enough suffering in my life at the moment for me to fully wake up.’ I’m chatting with a friend. We’d been talking about practice, about a particular teacher we both loved. “And yet,” I said, “I’m not watching his teachings online but watching videos on how to ferment vegetables, or how to develop the perfect note taking system!” Another friend of mine is like a dog with a bone when it comes to practice. They seriously want to get enlightened, and they probably will. They have a desperation that I don’t have. This friend has struggled with very dark mental states over the years and they never want to feel that way again. Other friends have experienced great grief, loss or illness, like many of the great practitioners of the past. Buddhism tells us that human beings are uniquely primed for what is called ‘awakening’ or enlightenment. That the human state, with its balance of pleasure and pain, is exactly what we need to ‘wake up’. The problem is we need just the right amount of suffering. As a general rule, if there’s too much suffering in our lives, it will overwhelm us. You might be familiar with an image called The Wheel of Life. It’s often displayed at the doorway of Buddhist temples. Take a moment to ask yourself where you are on the spectrum? Is there too much suffering in your life or too little? Then read the rest of the article here ⬇️
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