Dirty little secrets


Do you have any of these? Dirty little secrets that you would prefer the World did not know about.
I would bet that you do. We all do.
I think that these secrets tend to isolate us from others, and keep us from being genuine and completely present. The thought of others knowing about some embarrassing or humiliating situation or person in our life, seems terrifying. What will people think of me? They will avoid me, and look down on me. I will become an outcast of society, a pariah!
My dear friends, I am here to tell you that this is so far from the truth.
You see, there is suffering. And we all have our circumstances that weigh on our hearts and minds. The illusion that you suffer from is in thinking that you are alone in this.
There is no perfect being, we all have situations in our lives that seem uncontrollable and heartbreaking.
Perhaps knowing that you are not alone in this may give you some small bit of relief and acceptance for yourself.

Yesterday I was in a Court house, and was listening to so many people discuss their situations and their cases.
At first, I was a bit overwhelmed by all of the suffering around me.
But I quickly realized that there was something in common for all of these people. They were either dwelling on the past that brought them there, or they were grasping at the future for a resolution that they were hoping for.
Upādāna is once again the word that comes to mind. Clinging, wrong view, and attachment were wreaking havoc on these poor people.
I thought to myself, if these people could simply let go of the past and not grasp for the future, they would likely be feeling pretty good in this moment.
You see, the courtroom is merely one place that “dirty secrets” get exposed to the daylight. And that too adds to the suffering.
If we can only accept that no one is perfect, and that we all have suffering, perhaps we can breathe life into this moment.
In this moment there is great peace and love. Take a deep breath right now, and feel this. Now share this love with whoever is near you. The World has changed in this moment. Do not concern yourself with the next one. Stay here, stay present and alive.

Peace be with you, and may you be well, happy and peaceful.