When times are tough, we need to look inside and draw encouragement from our own internal wisdom. If we depend too heavily on outside support for emotional security, we are setting ourselves up for disappointment. The Buddha warned us that all arisen phenomena in this world are impermanent. This of course applies equally to those upon whom we develop a habit of relying. They may not always be available when we need them.
The capacity to overcome difficulty is not impossible to develop. It arises due to mental noting of the way things are. As it happens, things are not that bad, but we may have created a story around circumstances that makes them out to be worse than the reality.
If we observe carefully and precisely the words, “the way things are,” we can see that we are talking about the present state of affairs which does not even include the immediate future or the recent past. If we take that definition literally to acknowledge this moment right now, it simply is not as bad as the whole scenario and circumstance that we’re dealing with.
At the moment a person notes and understands that the present moment is bearable, he or she can be said to be experiencing a moment of clarity. From a Buddhist perspective, this kind of wisdom is preferable to a moment of pleasure because it contains something imminently useful. If this very difficult experience is not that bad, then we have nothing to fear.
The Buddha reminded us of this when he said, “the property of light is discerned in dependence on darkness.” In other words, the path to contentment and happiness can only be attained amidst a challenging experience. When you come to practice insight meditation, we will teach you how to string these moments of clarity together so that you can firmly establish yourself on a journey to fulfillment and inner security.