In this time of bewilderment and loss, when the whole world seems to be caught in a tailspin, we must return to the one thing that never erodes— a compassionate mind and wakeful heart. Today many good friends succumb to fret and gloom, overcome by angst for the future. But yogis know that a fretting mind and unsettled heart steal from the spirit, leave the mind confused, and the heart bitter. It is only by yoking to the indwelling source of wise compassion that we can relax our grip on the world and leave fear behind.
In the wake of our searing losses and burning tears, the trials of the world will go on. Again and again we will encounter joy and sorrow, love and hate, gain and loss. The world is made of opposites and in the words of the Tibetan mystic Milarepa, “I see this life as a conjuration and a dream, great compassion rises in my heart for those without a knowledge of this truth.” We can never fathom the ways of the world for all its sleight-of-hand and trickery. We can only belong to the one great invisible source. “All things have come out of nothingness and are carried onward to infinity” wrote Pascal, “Who can follow these astonishing processes?”
Now it is time to clear the tacky cobwebs of despair. Together we must summon tenderness in our hearts and learn to embody a peace that can never be denied. Time to build a resilient spirit and pliant heart. Time to return to the joy of simple things—walking in silence, the crescent of a new moon, reading poems of inspiration. Boundless compassion will see through the rattle and discord of our time. So may we build resilient compassion and belong not to doom and foreboding, but to the one true heart of awakening.
