Day 7- Real Practice: Taming Frustration

Last night I went to bed at 8, and at 930, someone gets into my room! I had not been told anything. I was deep asleep and feeling kind of dizzy. I think I mumbled something like “Are you sure you come to this room?”. I got up and moved the suitcases out of the way. I think it took me some time to go back to sleep, particularly because my mind was hammering me: ha! Is this loving kindness and compassion? Why didn’t they send this woman to the other rooms which are half empty? Or even worse, to the other 4 guest rooms which we cleaned this morning and are empty –and fully heated!! As tired as I was, my mind seemed to be unstoppable, wild. Finally I could surrender to sleep.

This morning I was not going to meditation at 530, but I woke up still right after my surprise roommate had left the room and worked out. When going for breakfast, my mind was already calmer. Then I was happy: I had let my anger/frustration grow, become voracious and die, without manifesting externally. I also realized there were more cars and more people also in the other rooms. Was it time and rest that tamed that mental formation? Was it the additional information my mind processed? Was it my conscious handling of that mental formation? Was it all together?

After breakfast I decided to look for a sister.

Photo: Gold & Blue & Gray Sunrise

Quote of the day:
“Do not hold anger, it benefits no one. Do not act out of anger, you will only be ashamed afterwards. Do not incite anger because you will be burned. Be the first to make peace. Be the peacemaker and wherever you go, you will be loved and be able to love.”


[From “IF NOT NOW, WHEN?” by Tsem Tulku Rinpoche, www.kechara.com. Kechara is a non-profit Buddhist organization.]