Today I listened to a talk about 'Practising with a Broken Heart' by the buddhist monk Ajahn Achalo. It seemed to chime in with some of my thoughts from yesterday about breaking and mending. We all face a broken heart at some point in our lives. Some are more prone than others, but no one is immune. It may be due to a bereavement, the end of a close relationship, another's hurtful words or actions, and even ourselves (I hadn't considered that before, but it is true that we can end up so utterly disappointed with ourselves that we break our own hearts).
But we can mend. And that is the beauty and the miracle. When we manage to get through such difficult times, somehow our hearts grow a little bigger, a little stronger. Going through heartbreak is a part of the human condition and it connects us with others, because we then know how it feels.
Buddhist teaching is to allow the feelings to be – and to know that our awareness is not part of them, that the feelings will eventually lessen. Think of a tsunami – it roars in and seems insurmountable, but eventually it receeds and there are smaller and smaller waves. So too with the sadness of a broken heart.
Thinking of several of my friends who are going through such sadness right now, all I can do is send them metta (loving kindness). When I am sad, I can send this to myself and I can also send out the sincere wish that there is less suffering for us all. In this way I can turn my sadness into a compassionate wish.
Ajahn Achalo included a quote: 'The heart that is broken and heals can hold the whole world'. This is so beautiful because it reminds us that the understanding gained from the experience expands our hearts so they can love even more.
The 'work of the heart' is never wasted.
Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram. Namaste.
But we can mend. And that is the beauty and the miracle. When we manage to get through such difficult times, somehow our hearts grow a little bigger, a little stronger. Going through heartbreak is a part of the human condition and it connects us with others, because we then know how it feels.
Buddhist teaching is to allow the feelings to be – and to know that our awareness is not part of them, that the feelings will eventually lessen. Think of a tsunami – it roars in and seems insurmountable, but eventually it receeds and there are smaller and smaller waves. So too with the sadness of a broken heart.
Thinking of several of my friends who are going through such sadness right now, all I can do is send them metta (loving kindness). When I am sad, I can send this to myself and I can also send out the sincere wish that there is less suffering for us all. In this way I can turn my sadness into a compassionate wish.
Ajahn Achalo included a quote: 'The heart that is broken and heals can hold the whole world'. This is so beautiful because it reminds us that the understanding gained from the experience expands our hearts so they can love even more.
The 'work of the heart' is never wasted.
Connect with me on Facebook and Instagram. Namaste.
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