Cattāri Brahmavihārā

When unjustly we are blamed for the misdeeds of others, and are falsely accused of flaws that we lack, and are always the object of verbal abuse, this is the wheel of sharp weapons returning full circle upon us from wrongs we have done. Till now we’ve despised and belittled our gurus; hereafter let’s never accuse others falsely, but give them full credit for virtues they have.

The excerpt above is from Dharmarakshita’s Wheel of Sharp Weapons, a mind training text that I have trained with in the past and embodies an approach that has become increasingly useful to me of late. By refusing to slip into victimhood and reframing the circumstances of our life as the result of one’s ripening kamma, I have been able to overcome a lot of bitterness that previously seemed intractable and inescapable.

May this be of benefit in helping you to extricate yourself from the tendrils of resentment and bitterness.