Via Francesca Biller on Jan 18, 2013
As a young child, I did not realize how
fortunate I was to have a Buddhist mother.
I simply assumed that all
children grew up with the gifts of wisdom, sound solace and a tangible sense of
calm.
But after I flew the safe
nest and breast of my mother, I learned that the rest of the world was not so
quiet, not so reflective, and not very serene at all. I learned much too
quickly that the world was often a bitter, ugly and angry place, and much too
loud for my sensitive ears. But it was just that sensitivity that I learned
from Buddhism that helped me through the pain and looming despair I would face.
Such painful periods
included watching my infant daughter undergo open heart surgery, enduring an
abusive relationship for years, and suffering severe injuries in a car
accident.
There were also periods
when I simply felt blue from the rigors that life can often have on you. These
include the day-to-day experiences of relationships, work, having
and raising children, trying to keep up or even find the Joneses, helping
with aging parents, and the first years of early adulthood when one often
feels so alone.
As I look back upon my
life, and live each day with a brighter spirit as I have grown older and
hopefully wiser, the words of my Buddhist mother always whispers gentle and
soothing words straight into my spirit.
One core belief of Buddhism
teaches that both happiness and sadness is the responsibility of each
individual, which also means that we all have the complete control to change
our lives.
What a refreshing and
enlightening concept!
I know that the life
lessons I have learned through Buddhism will continue to breathe life and
breadth with their true strength and power as I face new fears, challenges and
bouts of sadness that I now know are just a part of the
natural human experience.
