Our usual view of life is unrealistic. Most of our pleasant experiences depend on external objects and situations, whose very nature is ephemeral. When these things do change or disappear we cling on, unwilling to accept the reality of the situation. We want pleasure to last and are disappointed when it doesn't. And so we go, up and down, from pleasure to pain and happiness to unhappiness, all our lives.What she doesn't mention is that the development of kindness and compassion also gives us more enjoyment of whatever pleasures come our way. It's a beautiful paradox: grasping pleasure causes it to disappear; letting go enables it to be enjoyed. And the greatest happiness of all comes from compassion.
Awareness of this reality is a step towards eliminating suffering. We will stop expecting people and things to make us happy and instead see that it is our attitude towards them that determines happiness and satisfaction. Ironically, when we stop clinging unrealistically to things, we enjoy them all the more!
Another major benefit of this meditation is that we can see that others suffer in the same way, and as a result we inevitably develop more kindness and compassion towards them.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Awareness
Today I happened to pick up my copy of How to Meditate by Kathleen McDonald. Here's a helpful passage about the benefit of awareness:
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