A fool on Instagram
(making him an Insta-fool)
well-meaning but mistaken
insisted that the act of occasionally wishing
we had made different choices in the past
was a spiritual indictment
pointing to a deficiency in gratitude.
Such nonsense
was never taught by the Buddha,
such nonsense
sounds spiritual
but it is NOT,
it sounds helpful and beneficial
but it is the opposite.
Upon the Buddha’s path
of mindfulness meditation
we do NOT choose emotion
we do NOT force gratitude.
For as noble as that might sound,
to the untrained,
forcing ourselves to feel gratitude
for missteps taken
or misfortunes endured
undermines our mindfulness
and causes our neurosis to multiply
like amorous bunnies
in the spring time.
As we breath-in,
upon the Buddhist path
of mindfulness
we exercise the courage
to vulnerably notice
whatever emotion we feel
no matter how grotesque it may be.
And as we breathe out
we choose to relax
into our exhalation
which induces us
to release.
Buddha’s path of release
is NOT fueled
by belief
or affirmation
BUT rather by relaxation:
physical,
and surrendered,
and complete.
Let us conclude
with a simple
call to action
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and podcasts, and blogs, and class materials is supported
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