"How to live in the World
Some people think of Buddhism as a religion for people who want to reach a state of bliss and then disappear into some kind of nonexistence away from other people. This is not at all an accurate picture of Buddhism. Buddhists believe in participating fully in life. The path of healing does not exclude problems and difficulties; in fact, it embraces them as a means of realizing our true nature.

We can take a practical approach to problems that appear to be totally negative. If we are in a stressful situation, we should recognize and make peace with it, thinking, "It's bad, but it's OK." If we do not become hysterical over the situation, stringing together a chain of negative perceptions about it, its impact will wear out, for like everything in life, this situation is impermanent and will change sooner or later. Knowing this, we can calmly take the next step toward healing, with a confident feeling that external situations cannot overpower our inner wisdom.


In the Buddhist view, emotions ultimately are neither good nor bad. We should accept and welcome all our feelings. At the same time, we should not be ruled by wild or destructive emotions. If we are vulnerable to cravings, attachments, confusion, or hatred, it is better to think about "what is right for me to do" rather than "what I want to do." As we enter the path of healing,we should strengthen our intentions. We should let our minds guide our emotions.


If we rely on anything outside ourselves as the ultimate source of satisfaction, we will feel like we are riding on a roller coaster of gratification and dissatisfaction. Grasping leaves us at the mercy of the ever turning wheel of samsara, the passing world of pain and pleasure. When we let go of self and find our true peaceful centre, we see that it is not so necessary to cling to the concepts of good and bad, happy and sad, this and that, "me" and "them." Many religions and philosophies advise against identifying too strongly with the self. The famous Hindu scriptures called the Upanishads compare this identification with a trap: "In thinking 'This is I' and 'That is mine' [one] binds with his self, as does a bird with a snare."

Taking care of our true needs and those of others is the way to find peace, and to do this we can and often should involve ourselves in the world. Struggle is not necessarily bad. We can learn to see the struggles of life as interesting challenges. However, we must recognize that in seeking any goal, worldly or spiritual, grasping will exhaust us and entrap us in selfishness. The skill of living in a balanced way becomes easier when we know what we really need to live." FROM CHAPTER 2 'THE HEALING POWER OF MIND' TULKU THONDOP