Sitting with Pain

Sitting with pain, the very words evoke a Buddhist meditation.  I can envision His Holiness with his world class smile, reflecting on the teachings of pain.  The guru of compassion would openly share his wisdom and acknowledge what I believe to be a humble truth . . . . . . .

In order to have compassion one must experience some form of pain, be it emotional/physical or mental/spiritual.  It is through our journey through pain that we are offered the gifts of compassion.

As I sit in pain recovering from a nasty bicycle accident, I found myself reflecting on all the times I have tried to teach my son compassion.  Compassion, forgiveness, (toward the self, as well as, others), and acceptance being my optimum “lesson agendas.”  But today, I’m not convinced true compassion can be taught—it seems to me that the most compassionate people have experienced horrific episodes of personal loss, trauma, and pain.  They have allowed themselves to be swallowed by life’s uncertainties, been on a dark journey or two or three emerging each time more humble, accepting, and compassionate.  They openly acknowledge and maintain a reverence for a great mystery; for the unknown.  They don’t deny there is an otherworldly power that in an instant can humble even the most self-absorbed or power-hungry elite.

Often, very often, those full of compassion have come to know that there is no answer to why.   Compassion teaches us to accept and ask, “What can I learn from this?” or “How can I heal from this?”  By answering these question we can better help others when they are in need, as true compassion moves us more into our own humanity and acceptance of all things realized and true.

Sitting in pain, here is what I know to be true:

”We are responsible for right action: We are not responsible for the outcome.”

“We can have whatever we want, so long as it is divine will.”

Stay true,

M