In the midst of life’s chaos, we can always turn to nature as a source of resilience.
Just as a mountain is not moved by the winds blowing over it, the ocean is not destroyed by the waves moving on its surface. In a similar way, no matter what we experience, some aspect of ourselves remains unharmed. “Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God,” proclaimed A Course in Miracles.
Eastern philosophy mirrors this wisdom by teaching that we must stop trying to control the uncontrollable cycles of pleasure and pain, and instead learn how to connect, open, and love no matter what is happening in the “suchness” of the present moment. This is what meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg explores in a portion of her book Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness.
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Join PatreonSharon Salzberg writes:
The basis of the Buddha’s psychological teaching is that our efforts to control what is inherently uncontrollable cannot yield the security, safety, and happiness we seek. By engaging in a delusive quest for happiness, we only bring suffering upon ourselves. In our frantic search for something to quench our thirst, we overlook the water all around us and drive ourselves into exile from our own lives.
We may look for that which is stable, unchanging, and safe, but awareness teaches us that such search cannot succeed. Everything in life changes. The path to true happiness is one of integrating and fully accepting all aspects of our experience. This integration is represented in the Taoist symbol of yin yang, a circle which is half dark and half light. In the midst of the dark area is a spot of light, in the midst of the light area is a spot of darkness.
Even in the depths of darkness, the light is implicit. Even in the heart of light, the dark is understood, acknowledged, and absorbed. If things are not going well for us in life and we are suffering, we are not defeated by the pain or closed off to the light. If things are going well and we are happy, we are not defensively trying to deny the possibility of suffering. This unity, this integration, comes from deeply accepting darkness and light, and therefore being able to be in both simultaneously.
Complement with 3 best books on lovingkindness by Sharon Salzberg and then revisit our guided meditation on the power of now.
I’m a freelance writer and mindfulness advocate behind this blog. What you see here is the combination of my three favorite things: reading, writing, and mindfulness. While you’re here, subscribe to my blog updates and gain access to free mindfulness resources for stress relief.
