Welcoming the Unwelcome: Wholehearted Living in a Brokenhearted World

by Pema Chödrön

Am I perpetuating my sense of being in opposition? Or am I going against that tendency by lessening the gap between myself and the world? Am I increasing my sense of separateness from others?

The grooves in our brain deepen with each repetitive thought and form habitual patterns, beliefs, and attitudes.

The exalted state of enlightenment is nothing more than fully knowing ourselves and our world, just as we are.

“What would it mean for me personally to fully accept this feeling; to not reject it but embrace it?”

But is it even possible to hold “I do not condone this behavior,” or “I feel angry and betrayed,” with “I love and care for this person”?

How will I react to illness, to devastating loss, to insults and disrespect? What about when things get worse in the environment or in politics? Will I freak out and erupt in hatred, fear, or self-condemnation? Or will my practice allow me to be with what I’m feeling and proceed sanely and humanely?