While pain, hardship and hunger are real, they can be made vastly better or worse by the way we hold those conditions in our minds. Agonizing over already existing conditions exacerbates them, while understanding their temporary nature can ameliorate them. We commonly think our emotional states are caused by external circumstances, believing that difficulty inevitably results in suffering and good fortune brings pleasure. In truth, it is our reaction to what shows up, rather than the actual circumstances, that creates the quality of our lives. Where a negative attitude sees only a muddy pond, a joyful one sees…
The lotus.
