warrior, or a sage. In times of great turmoil or
darkness, use your breath as the string which will
guide you through the labyrinth. Keep mindfulness
alive even in the darkest moments, reminding
yourself that the awareness is not part of the
darkness or the pain; it holds the pain, and knows it,
so it has to be more fundamental, and closer to what
is healthy and strong and golden within you.
Practice as a Path
In the middle of this road
we call our life
I found myself
in a dark wood
With no clear path through.
(Dante Alighieri - Divine Comedy, "Inferno")
The journey metaphor is used in all cultures to
describe life and the quest for meaning. In the East,
the word Tao, Chinese for "Way" or "Path," carries
this meaning. In Buddhism, meditation practice is
usually spoken of as a path - the path of mindfulness,