From the Middle Way Arcana, Temperance; from the Vertical Oracle, Reality Check:
The Buddha's message was simple but profound. Neither a life of self-indulgence nor one of self-mortification can bring happiness. Only a middle path, avoiding these two extremes, leads to peace of mind, wisdom, & complete liberation from the dissatisfactions of life.
~Henepola Gunaratana
Buddha began life as a pampered prince and later led a life of austerity as an ascetic. Neither approach led him to enlightenment and contentment. In our search for happiness and satisfaction, we often take an extreme approach, thinking it to be the fast track to our goal. But as Buddha found, it is a middle path between fundamentalism and excess that will light our way to liberation. Reality Check suggests that we have resorted to imbalance and need to find clarity. We might be trying to control a situation we have no influence over, demanding that things be different, and arguing with what are the facts. Instead, we might take the words of Vidyamala Burch to heart: "Out of acceptance grows a new phase, which I call flourishing. When you let go of the battle, let go of fighting with your spirit, then more energy will rise up. Let me love this life as best as I can."
No comments:
Post a Comment