I’ve been traveling and was unable to keep up with writing while on the road. Kudos to those of you who are better at it than I am!
This blog and my website are not visible in China, by the way.
To start back into the rhythm of writing… well, of typing at least, for now, I’ll share with you some words that inspired me this morning.
From the May 2009 issue of Shambhala Sun, reprinted from Joyful Wisdom: Embracing Change and Finding Freedom by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche:
At any given moment, you can choose to follow the chain of thoughts, emotions, and sensations that reinforce a perception of yourself as vulnerable and limited — or you can remember that you true nature is pure, unconditioned, and incapable of being harmed. You can remain in the sleep of ignorance or remember that you are and always have been awake. Either way, you’re still expressing the unlimited nature of your true being. Ignorance, vulnerability, fear, anger, and desire are expressions of the infinite potential of your buddhanature. There’s nothing inherently wrong or right with making such choices. The fruit of Buddhist practice is simply the recognition that these and other mental afflictions are nothing more or less than choices available to us because our real nature is infinite in scope.
We choose ignorance because we can. We choose awareness because we can. Samsara and nirvana are simply different points of view based on the choices we make in how to examine and understand our experience. There’s nothing magical about nirvana and nothing bad or wrong about samsara. If you’re determined to think of yourself as limited, fearful, vulnerable, or scarred by past experience, know only that you have chosen to do so. The opportunity to experience yourself differently is always available.
Tomorrow, I’m screening Creating Buddhas at UC Irvine. In the coming days, look for posts on questions I’m often asked at screenings.
