Friday, May 27, 2011

Rawness of a Broken Heart

An analogy for bodhichitta is the rawness of a broken heart. Sometimes this broken heart gives birth to anxiety and panic, sometimes to anger, resentment, and blame. But under the hardness of that armor there is the tenderness of genuine sadness. This is our link with all those who have ever loved. This genuine heart of sadness can teach us great compassion. It can humble us when we’re arrogant and soften us when we are unkind. It awakens us when we prefer to sleep and pierces through our indifference. This continual ache of the heart is a blessing that when accepted fully can be shared with all.”

~ Pema Chodron

3 comments:

Carl V. Anderson said...

I haven't been over here in a good long while and I'm sorry. I've been revisiting my blog roll and I'm sorry to find you here in the midst what sounds like has been a really and truly rough year. The loss of "a" friend to death is truly tragic, the loss of multiple friends in such a short space of time is certainly devastating and I wish I knew a better way to say "I'm sorry". I'm glad to hear that along the way you are repairing some relationships that you felt were lost. I used to think that I could do without a lot of close relationships in my life. Turns out I was very, very wrong! I sincerely hope the remainder of 2011 treats you better, we need balance after all and you've had more than you need of the bad end of the spectrum.

darkorpheus said...

Thank you Carl. I'm better these days.

Mother of Invention said...

What a challenging and inspiring sentiment. In my own struggles with anger and resentment, I have been trying to find my way to the sadness or hurt underneath. It takes courage, but it is one of the few steps I can take that seem to alleviate those fires.