Published Friday, 02 October 2020
Life is not easy for those
who have a sense of shame,
who are modest,
pure-minded and detached,
morally upright and reflective.Dhammapada v.245
If we read this verse from the Buddha and feel relieved, it might be because we have momentarily let go of the idea that we should always feel relaxed and happy. In terms of Dhamma, we will only feel thoroughly relaxed and happy when we have finished our work and become free from all habits of clinging. When we look at the world and see how human beings sometimes conduct themselves, it is appropriate that we feel sad. Our natural sensitivity is likely to respond to the evident lack of integrity, modesty and discernment with a sense of disappointment: surely we can do better than this. Feeling sad without becoming lost in sadness is like warming ourselves by the fire without being burnt by the fire. We won’t be able to feel compassion unless we are able to feel sadness.