(no subject)

Happy Year of the Dragon to you all---may this year transform burdens into blessings and bring renewed joy into your lives. I love you all, sweet friends.

Happy Birthday, sleepymaggie

You are a fine thinker and a fabulous colleague. I have a great deal of respect for you, and am so glad to count you among my friends.

May you flourish this year, Maggie.

Lojong for the day: shame and rage

Don't bring things to a painful point.

Commentary: Don't humiliate people.

Lojong slogan 33, The Compassion Box, Pema Chodron

[59 Buddhist Teachings on Living Life with Fearlessness and Compassion, translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee, with commentary by Pema Chodron]

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This makes me think of the shame-rage cycle: the very human pattern of shifting away from painful experiences of shame and/or fear by striking out at another.
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For what it's worth, this is my opinion: if you manage to refrain from striking out even once when you are shaking with fear and shame, take heart. You have done a brave and powerful thing. You have done great work. The more deeply you have been entrenched in the cycle, the greater your accomplishment in breaking it even once. In that moment, you are worthy of admiration.

(no subject)

Every once in awhile, I forget who I am. And then I remember, and say, "Oh, yeah..."