Cattāri Brahmavihārā

Why did I imagine that the practice would suddenly be easy? For whatever reason, I did but luckily conditions have changed and snapped me out of it.

Today I have had abundant opportunities to work with patience and forbearance. And, although I haven’t always been able to keep my mind steady I feel I’ve done pretty well. What is helping me now is to view people who are, for lack of a better description, filled with seemingly bottomless contempt, as sick. I mean, how deranged midday one’s mind become to always be in a simmering state of revulsion? I know how defiled and I’ll I feel when I’m overcome by anger so, even though it never feels pleasant to be the object of scorn, I can at least begin to feel genuine compassion.

The important thing for me to remember is that I need to take time to meditate when I have prolonged contact with such teachers as it is easy for me to get tricked by the defilements. May all beings enjoy blameless happiness and true peace.