The practice of listening is one of the most mysterious, luminous, and challenging art forms on Earth.

In daily terms, the work of listening is to be constantly worn free of our preconceptions and preferences so that nothing stands in the way of our direct experience of life.

The real & lasting practice for each of us is to remove what obstructs us so we can be who we are.

Just opening quietly for moments everyday can create a path by which life can reach us, the way rain carves a little stream in the earth by which the smallest flowers are watered.

But compassion is a deeper thing that waits beyond the tension of choosing sides. Compassion, in practice, does not require us to give up the truth of what we feel or the truth of our reality. Nor does it allow us to minimize the humanity of those who hurt us. Rather, we are asked to know ourselves enough that we can stay open to the truth of others, even when their truth or their inability to live up to their truth has hurt us.

When we keep choosing between right and wrong. We spend our energy sorting life rather than living it.

We need to give up what no longer works and find new ways of being that keeps us close to what matters.