We had a little Buddhist stand up routine over at 108 Zenbooks yesterday where Genju was trying to give away her suffering and I offered to adopt it from SPCS (society for prevention of cruelty to suffering). Now this got her thinking about how she should be nicer to her suffering.And I'm going to play off that riff. In fact it must have been out there in the ether because I woke up thinking about a couple of morsels of suffering I've been chewing on lately. Not a good morning taste to wake up to! Same old boring theme, same old suffering. You think I'd learn? You think I'd want to take a vacation from my monotonous subdivision of gripes.
And then as I was trying to plot my escape from arch enemy, suffering, the words came to me, "lean into it". A teaching I have heard more than once, but somethings take a long time to leach down into the ol' cranium. And I could see that all my imaginings of how I could improve things for myself were simply versions of "pushing my suffering away", all my worrying about things were simply not accepting what is.
That doesn't mean taking no action. No lying on the floor and shouting uncle (aunty would never approve). Think of leaning into something, there is action and initiative and strength required. And when consider a situation deeply, we find the next small step that needs to be taken (or not taken).
So as I let the feeling of "leaning into my suffering" sink in I felt empowered and heartened somehow. Strange? Maybe, but that was the experience. I gave up the mind loop of fear and got on with my day. My mind, my body both thanked me for it. I could see how the experience of pushing away the suffering was an energy sink hole. It created lethargy and inaction and a chaotic mind dashing about looking for the exit. And well, sometimes you've got to suffer and thrash a bunch, before you remember to lean into it. So sharpen up your shoulder, put on a sturdy coat and lean into it. It comes with my highest recommendation. Martial arts of the spirit.
