The first noble truth of the Buddha is that when we feel suffering, it doesnโt mean that something is wrong. What a relief. Finally somebody told the truth. Suffering is part of life, and we donโt have to feel itโs happening because we personally made the wrong move. In reality, however, when we feel suffering, we think that something is wrong. As long as weโre addicted to hope, we feel that we can tone our experience down or liven it up or change it somehow, and we continue to suffer a lot.
Pema ChodronMost spiritual experiences begin with suffering. They begin with groundlessness. They begin when the rug has been pulled out from under us.
Pema ChodronEach person's life is like a mandala - a vast, limitless circle. We stand in the center of our own circle, and everything we see, hear and think forms the mandala of our life ... everything that shows up in your mandala is a vehicle for your awakening.
Pema ChodronSticking with uncertainty is how we learn to relax in the midst of chaos, how we learn to be cool when the ground beneath us suddenly disappears. We can bring ourselves back to the spiritual path countless times every day simply by exercising our willingness to rest in the uncertainty of the present momentโover and over again.
Pema ChodronAnyone who stands on the edge of the unknown, fully in the present without reference point, experiences groundlessness. That's when our understanding goes deeper, when we find that the present moment is a pretty vulnerable place and that this can be completely unnerving and completely tender at the same time.
Pema Chodron