Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly NOW. Love mercy NOW. Walk humbly NOW. You are not obligated to complete the work but neither are you free to abandon it.

From the Talmud Pirkei Avot (Ethics/Chapters of the Fathers) 2:16

There’s a song I’ve been singing to myself as I climb up the steep hill in the neighborhood where we walk. To encourage me to keep climbing and walk briskly I’ve been listening to “What do you do to a drunken sailor early in the morning?” Why this tune popped into my consciousness is a mystery to me. I am not a dancer of jigs, I don’t know sailors, I’m not Irish, and I very rarely drink but the rhythm of this jig is very upbeat and moves me along at a good pace up a hill and pushes my endurance providing some aerobic exercise that’s good for my heart. This is a time for strength, resilience and wisdom. Compassion means to suffer with and it is impossible not to watch the horrors unfold in a land far from here and know we are all connected. I can turn off my TV and limit my exposure to horror but I can’t shut off my feelings. The Tibetan practice of Tonglen feels fitting to do. I breath in the darkness, feel the heaviness of the pain in the region of my chest, experience my heart breaking open and send out light.

Leonard Cohen in his lyrics to Anthem wrote,

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.

I’m writing this on a Saturday knowing that when this blog piece is read more people will be killed and there will be more scenes of destruction in the Ukraine—and it is very disturbing. I am currently teaching a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course and we are nearing its end. The curriculum revolves around mindfulness—developing an ability to be present to our direct experience as it is happening—and all the feelings that go with it—and maintain a steadiness of awareness requiring an open mind and a non-judging heart. This is BIG under any circumstance. It requires compassion, intention, and practice.

The Dalai Lama tells a story about the monk Lapon-La who was put in prison by the Chinese for eighteen years. He writes,

“When he finally free, he came to India. For twenty years, I did not see him. But he seemed the same. Of course, looked older. But physically OK. His mind is still sharp after so many years in prison. He was still the same gentle monk. He told me the Chinese forced him to denounce his religion. They tortured him many times in prison. I asked him whether he was ever afraid. Lopon-la then told me: "Yes there was one thing I was afraid of. I was afraid I might lose compassion for the Chinese."

I was very moved by this, and also very inspired. Forgiveness helped him in prison. Because of forgiveness, his bad experience with the Chinese not got worse. Mentally and emotionally, he didn't suffer too much. He knew he could not escape. So, better to accept reality than to be traumatized by it."

— His Holiness The Dalai Lama, The Wisdom of Forgiveness by Victor Chan

Each week, teachers of MBSR at UMassMemorial hospital meet to discuss our classes. This week we expressed our feelings about this world-wide crisis and how to skillfully acknowledge it. There are some participants in our classes who live in Europe, others have family there or in adjoining countries and others have personal histories of traumas. As we spoke I appreciated my colleagues and how honest we could be with each other. I was aware of how protected and fortunate I have been to have grown up with a feeling of security and no war on my land or planes with bombs flying over my head. I feel lucky to have electricity, a warm house, and the ability to go about the normal activities of day-to-day living. As I watch on TV people fighting, fleeing, and living among bombs and artillery I get triggered. I know how connected we are. They are also me. We are not separate.

Christina Feldman in her book Boundless Heart wrote,

“There is no equanimity more unshakeable than the profound poise of the liberated heart that can meet the world of ungraspable conditions and events without being shattered.”

In practicing meditation and in teaching it I don’t think about liberating the heart. I do my best to simply be “here” at “home” in the Now. That is enough. Sometimes in leading a meditation I say, as Thich Nhat Hahn did,

“Breathing in I know I am breathing in.

Breathing out, I know I am breathing out.

Dwelling in the present moment,

It is a precious moment.”

And I’ll add, “the only moment” which I sometimes follow with one word, “Enough”.

Enough. It’s enough. Enough to self-criticism, enough to greed, hatred, and delusion. We have enough. There is breath, body, and mind. It is enough to feel the ground, the sky above, and the space around me. I am a part of something much bigger than myself. How wonderful to appreciate each moment that is not a crisis, to give thanks for health, let old junk be recognized, met, and go when not helpful. That’s enough. Remember, Do justly NOW. Love mercy NOW. Walk humbly NOW.

May there be peace.