I read this insightful quote today…
\”There is pleasure and pain, gain and loss, slander and honor, praise and blame. The Awakened Ones are not controlled by these external things. They will cease as quickly as they arise. If others speak against you, do not be angry, for that will prevent your own inner freedom. Learn to hear their harsh words patiently until they cease. Similarly if they praise you. Find out what is false or true and acknowledge the facts.\” ~ Digha Nikaya and the Dhammapada
Those who have yet to awaken lived trapped in the lessons and cycles of karma and drama without realizing that there is a way to escape the intensity. Anger, unacknowledged or honored, feeds hatred and aggression. It become easier to project than to examine, and thus, the cycle continues. To understand how anger affects you, pay attention to it when it is small. Catch it when it is still in the more manageable states of resentment, dissatisfaction or judgement. Notice when it arises and ask yourself if it is due to the stories of the mind, your physical state of being, old habits, patterns or expectations. Then sit with it for a moment. Consider that the situation or person has done their part – they have shown you a wound that you carry and the moment of transformation is at hand.
The more awareness you bring to your state of consciousness, the more empowerment you will discover. Each step of awakening has a purpose and all things work to your highest good.
Today my intention is to be willing to see clearly. May I be a loving example of kindness and unconditional love.