Canadian sangha member Patti Fraser writes about being with a grieving friend, “To act skillfully is to drop the idea of skillful action as a set of preordained behaviours. I let go of thoughts of how to be useful, or help, or prevent suffering. In their stead, I tried to be just present.”
Sangha member Patti Fraser sees the magic and draws a powerful lesson from a chance encounter: “Seize the moment in its fullness before it, too, disappears.”
“When I can relax and let go, when I can cease clinging to myself as being independent and separate from the environment, I see that everything is alive with interconnection,” writes Nick Vail. “There is no ‘me,’ and there is no ‘out there.’ There is only vibrant, spacious interdependence.”
The responsibility of bodhisattvas may feel daunting and great courage is needed to engage in this practice, but why not give it a chance?Mitra Karl Brunnhölzl together with Karunika Stephanie Johnston offered rich and inspiring teachings that spoke directly to our paths.
A mindful pause can open space for change—where even noticing a bad habit can be a win. What if we threw a little party for our awareness?Read Ellen Balzé’s reflections on mindfulness, habits, and self-compassion in Mindfulness and Changing Habits.
What can we learn from the events or problems that encourage us to pause? My hope for us all is that we will not resist the challenges that arise, but see them as opportunities. I hope we will welcome these obstacles, these pauses, these moments of reflection. And while we do, let us practice loving-kindness toward ourselves and those around us.
