"Dukkha" with Alex M This Sunday

Dear Community,

Sunday 10am Community Practice & Discussion

This week I found myself grappling with the not-uncommon "I have to do something about this" energy in response to many global, national and local events that I experienced as challenging and disheartening. The scale of these conditions mean that my concerns are often quickly followed by feelings of despair, self-judgment, and more. These experiences can cause my mind to ricochet away from nervous, acting energy toward desires t bury my head in the sand. How can all this be worked with?

Phillip Moffitt writes in Dancing with Life, "Understanding the First Noble Truth involves the practice and realization of three specific insights about dukkha: first, realizing that the philosophical description that life seems to elicit feelings of dukkha at every turn is correct; secondly, gaining insight into your suffering by penetrating it with conscious awareness day by day, moment by moment; and finally, deeply accepting this truth as part of your life and that it affects how your mind reacts to all your experience."

Re-reading this, the bolded statement stuck out to me, just as it has many other times I've read this chapter. How often have I turned to my practice looking for it to be a tool to avoid suffering in its entirety? If I was only a better, more committed practitioner, I would not experience pain and challenges, and if I did, I would meet them with the smile of one completely free of experiencing the "ouch" directly.

But this isn't what the Buddha suggests about dukkha. In his teachings on the "two arrows," we're invited to explore how the second arrow can be avoided. But the first arrow still strikes with violence. Imagining that it can be otherwise is it's own source of suffering, and as Phillip says, it is essential for us to engage this truth in order to develop on the path.

I look forward to practicing with you this week as we bring the support of community to bear on our experiences with dukkha. All are welcome to join this exploration on Sunday! Registration and Zoom information available here.

With mettā,
Minneapolis Insight