Throughout the world, many of us face a reality filled with uncertainty. When we connect with our natural wisdom, uncertainty becomes a profound opportunity for positive change.
The recent murder of George Floyd has brought even greater attention and urgency to the long-standing and still unresolved issue of systemic racism and discrimination in the United States, and the suffering and violence that it perpetuates. There are no words to express the pain and sadness of this tragedy.
In this time of the coronavirus pandemic, I have had more time to be with myself, without so many distractions. And I’ve been noticing more vividly my habitual pattern of negative self-talk and anger when I’m stressed out. Working with “Mindful Gap,” a skill I’ve learned in my mindfulness meditation practice, helps me step back from my habitual reactions and stop their flow.
It is beyond words to express my feelings of sadness and devastation after seeing the unnecessary force which led to the ultimate disaster of losing one precious human life, George Floyd.
But looking deeper, I also felt a strong connection: to the sick and deceased, to nurses and doctors who couldn’t save them, to soldiers solemnly driving those trucks, to others watching these surreal scenes just as I was doing.
What does it really mean to “be close” to someone? Rinpoche shows how we can use the quarantine or isolation to reflect on our ideas about social distance and closeness.
