Off the Cushion...

It’s easy to be happy while sitting on the meditation cushion, breathing deeply. It’s easy in that moment to think about feeling compassion for all sorts of people. Oh how connected we all are over my chai latte and a deep resounding ommmm. It’s easy to feel joy and gratitude watching the red sun dip into the horizon. Easy, happy.

Then we get off the meditation cushion and live our lives. The breath quickens, the traffic’s jammed, the person in the next cubicle is so annoying. This is the hard, and essential, part. To transform adverse conditions into positive experiences. I know what you’re thinking. What the fuck, Melissa: A bad day is a bad day. But it doesn't have to be. It's possible to be free of our emotional and mental reaction to what we consider problems. It's a tough practice (for me at least), but so worth it. Who doesn’t want to be happy all the time, regardless of what happens?

It’s like Shanti Deva said:

When things are difficult and there’s something we can do about the situation, we shouldn’t worry, because we can change it.

When things are difficult and there’s nothing we can do about the situation, we shouldn’t worry, either. It is simply and purely what it is. Worrying about should or could have been won’t change it.

So, we’re happy when things are going well for us, right? We’re peaceful when we’re chilling out on the meditation cushion? Not so happy when we bicker with our significant other, are late for work, get a bad grade on a test, blah blah blah. But these adverse conditions are only adverse because we think of them that way. See, my adverse conditions may not be your adverse conditions. A monk considers his robe falling off his shoulder to be frustrating. That’s certainly not an issue for me, though I can relate to the muffin top over skinny jeans frustration. So if it’s only a problem for me, is it really a problem? Or is it just a problem in my head?

And if I can change my mind, I can change my ideas about what’s a problem and what ain’t.