Cattāri Brahmavihārā

I went to bed feeling so tired that I felt sick. I woke up this morning feeling not much better and incredibly dizzy. I don’t really know if this is the cumulative effect of fasting for Ramadhan, trying to maintain my physical conditioning routine and inadequate sleep or if I am getting sick but it doesn’t really matter. The effect is still the same.

The mind throws up a thousand reasons why I shouldn’t push myself, how I will be unable to do certain things and all the ways I’ll be suffering. But, rather than giving these thoughts free reign, why don’t I use these bodily feelings to engender thoughts of compassion and to return the mind the mind to the Dhamma?

The reflections above from the Tibetan master Longchenpa give is a way to reframe illness and sickness. May we put them to good use and bring illness into the path.