Lily Rose
Beloved Grand Eagle
From Pema Chodron: The Places That Scare You (A guide to fearlessness in difficult times):
In other traditions, demons are expelled externally. But in my tradition, demons are accepted with compassion. -- Machik Labdron (11th Century Buddhist practitioner)
Before I read this concept, I had already experienced an exposure to it through online roleplaying (this is creative writing done with one or more players, each controlling their own characters, creating the story with each post). A fallen Angel character brought his 'pet' demons into the game, and my character grew to love them. It was a strange manifestation of the story, but intriguing. Tentatively, I began to apply it to my internal demons. Could they be tamed? Loved, even?
This book came into my possession, and I read that quote with widened eyes. Yes, I thought. Yes.
Compassion is more emotionally challenging than Loving-Kindness because it involves a willingness to feel pain. It definitely requires the training of a Warrior.
The image of Xena, Warrior Princess immediately embeds itself. A warrior fighting her own demons. My imaginary world expands. Yet, it isn't the same concept of loving the demons. Still, it is a start. Some days, it helped. On days I felt stronger, I could practice the loving-kindness.
It is all a practice ... like playing music. We. Just. Practice. We learn, we adapt, we try various methods. Each day, each moment, is unlike the moment before. One of our tools works now, a few moment later, we need another tool. Like playing many songs on the same instrument.
When we can love ourselves, we can truly love each other.
with grace and gratitude,
^_^
In other traditions, demons are expelled externally. But in my tradition, demons are accepted with compassion. -- Machik Labdron (11th Century Buddhist practitioner)
Before I read this concept, I had already experienced an exposure to it through online roleplaying (this is creative writing done with one or more players, each controlling their own characters, creating the story with each post). A fallen Angel character brought his 'pet' demons into the game, and my character grew to love them. It was a strange manifestation of the story, but intriguing. Tentatively, I began to apply it to my internal demons. Could they be tamed? Loved, even?
This book came into my possession, and I read that quote with widened eyes. Yes, I thought. Yes.
Compassion is more emotionally challenging than Loving-Kindness because it involves a willingness to feel pain. It definitely requires the training of a Warrior.
The image of Xena, Warrior Princess immediately embeds itself. A warrior fighting her own demons. My imaginary world expands. Yet, it isn't the same concept of loving the demons. Still, it is a start. Some days, it helped. On days I felt stronger, I could practice the loving-kindness.
It is all a practice ... like playing music. We. Just. Practice. We learn, we adapt, we try various methods. Each day, each moment, is unlike the moment before. One of our tools works now, a few moment later, we need another tool. Like playing many songs on the same instrument.
When we can love ourselves, we can truly love each other.
with grace and gratitude,
^_^
