12 Empty Boat

I

had an interviewwith someone who said she
couldn’t meditate; it was impossible because she
had real-life problems. In the meditation we’re doing
we’re trying to bring home the very supportive mes-
sage that real-life problems are the material for wak-
ing up, not the reason to stop trying. This is news you
can use.
Today’s slogan is “Whatever you meet unexpect-
edly, join with meditation.” This is a very interesting
suggestion. These slogans are pointing out that we
can awaken bodhichitta through everything, that
nothing is an interruption. This slogan points out
how interruptions themselves awaken us, how inter-
ruptions themselves—surprises, unexpected events,
bolts out of the blue—can awaken us to the experi-
ence of both absolute and relative bodhichitta, to the
open, spacious quality of our minds and the warmth
of our hearts.
This is the slogan about surprises as gifts. These
surprises can be pleasant or unpleasant; the main
point is that they can stop our minds. You’re walking
along and a snowball hits you on the side of the head.
It stops your mind.

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