[OceanofDharma] Quotes of the Week: Be Friendly Toward Problems

[Carolyn Gimian]

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week

October 26, 2006

BE FRIENDLY TOWARD PROBLEMS

To develop ahimsa, or the nonviolent approach, first of all you have to see 
that your problems are not really trying to destroy you. Usually, we 
immediately try to get rid of our problems. We think that there are forces 
operating against us and that we have to get rid of them. The important 
thing is to learn to be friendly toward our problems, by developing what is 
called metta in Pali, maitri in Sanskrit, or loving-kindness in English 
translation.
         All of these problems and difficulties are fundamentally generated 
from the concept of duality, or separateness. On the one hand, you are very 
aware of other and also very aware of yourself, and you want to do 
something to work with and make use of others. But you are unable to do 
this, because there is such a big gap between other and yourself. So a 
sense of threat or separation develops. That is the root of the problem.

 From "The Martial Arts and the Art of War," in Volume Eight of THE 
COLLECTED WORKS OF CHOGYAM TRUNGPA, page 414.

All material by Chogyam Trungpa is copyright Diana J. Mukpo and used by 
permission.

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Carolyn Rose Gimian

Ocean of Dharma Quotes of the Week: teachings by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
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