Every day I try to reflect on the sufferings of beings in the various duggati realms of rebirth. Due to the weakness of my own mind I find I’m not always able to bring up the feelings of their sufferings. There are times when I can imagine pretty well the emotional and psychological anguish of a hell being in a cold hell: !the sheer panic of being unable to shelter oneself, the complete feeling of isolation, the realization that this will go on not for seconds or minutes but for thousands of years. The torment is unimaginable. And yet, physically, or can be almost impasible to imagine.
As a result, I’m taking up the practice of cold showers again to help me cultivate more compassion and an indefatigable desire to help beings find a way out of suffering. Yes, I can see that I’m talking myself a little too seriously but I find it to be a helpful practice so why not? This morning I was only able to bear it for less than a minute while imagining the suffering of our poor mother hell-beings but I know, with practice, I can endure more.
I want to be able to use every moment of this luge to train in the brahmaviharas and the Dhamma so practices like cold showers are a good way too integrate reflection. Also, the freedoms we have to create the causes and conditions for liberation and bodhicitta are unparalleled in the human realm so how can we asked to waste our time. May we regard all things as a lesson in Dhamma. May we make our every action a gift of Dhamma.
Cattāri Brahmavihārā 
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