When suffering arises in our lives, we can recognize it as suffering. When we get what we don’t want, when we don’t get what we do want, when we become ill, when we’re getting old, when we’re dying – when we see any of these things in our lives, we can recognize suffering as suffering. Then we can be curious, notice, and be mindful of our reactions to that. Again, usually we’re either resentful and feel cheated somehow, or we’re delighted. But whatever our reaction is, it’s usually habitual. Instead, we could see the next impulse come up, and how we spin off from there. Spinning off is nether good nor bad; it’s just something that happens as a reaction to the pleasure and pain of our existence. We can simply see that, without judgement or the intention to clean up our act.
Excerpt from When Things Fall Apart by Pema Chodron
