Avoid the Holes and Walk Down a Different Street

Yesterday was an "off" day to say the least (go to my other blog for the full story).

I realized today though that it is in these "off" days when our understanding of suffering really comes into context.

I had to honestly look at things and realize that living with suffering is part of our journey here in samsara.

And that a big part of over-coming suffering is an acceptance of the first noble truth.

Suffering is inevitable.

This is not just something we need to memorize and spout off like the good students that we try to be but we need to honestly understand this in our hearts. Only then can we honestly hope to over-come it.

So today I accept my suffering and embrace it.

I will not run from it or try to think that it is not real or important.

It is very real and very important to understand.

This is the only to truly make any progress toward avoiding the suffering that is so often attached to the human experience.

We will always run into things that will through us off from our normal activities but the key is to not accept them and take them on as suffering.

This reminds me off a story:

A man walks down a street and falls in a deep hole. Angry he pulls himself out of the hole and walks on thinking how aweful it is that someone has not filled up that hole.

the next day he walks down the same street and because he is so absorbed with being angry and blaming everyone he can think of for not filling the hole he falls in it again!

This goes on for sevaral days and the man soon accumulates several wounds from falling in this hole.

Well, finally he realizes to just concentrate on walking around the hole instead of worrying about who's to blame for the hole.

This goes on for several days more and finally he comes to the realization to walk down a different street entirely.

So, there are always going to be "bad days" and "holes" in our path but the key is to learn where those holes are ahead of time so that we can learn to avoid them and take a different path entirely.

I am working on that in my life and I thought I'd share this lesson I am learning as I go along.

I am far from not falling in every hole I come across but I am learning to avoid them and hopefully I will learn to find streets that do not have any holes at all.

Plus, I have not been meditating the last few days and I can definately notice a difference.

I am getting back on track today.

UPDATE: Special thanks to "me" who pointed out that not only should I avoid the "holes" but that I should also fill up the holes and put up signs to help others avoid these "holes." I think that is what the Buddha has done for us with giving us the Dharma.

I think that the Dharma helps fill in these "holes" and puts up warning signs for others.

Thanks for commenting "me."

-James

-Peace to you all-