How to Practice, Part II: Courage & Grace

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If mindfulness begins with training our attention, what’s the recipe for its other components, courage and grace?

For me, it begins with stillness. I get quiet and sometimes lovingkindness shows up. But sometimes what appears is a parade of horribles: anger, jealousy, greed, and their buddies. And all I can do is cringe.

When that happens and I can stay put, it’s because of courage: that moment of feeling cringy, knowing I’m feeling cringy, and looking anyway. And staying with whatever the cringy thing is (anger, fear, sorrow) – dying to it, as Pema Chodron instructs. And in doing that, reinforcing and strengthening courage. And over time and with practice, porting that courage into the larger, tumultuous moment. 

That’s courage, and then there’s the attitude I’m trying to do all of that with, which is grace. Which is maybe just another name for love. Which means here’s my recipe, for right now: sit, look, cringe, keep looking anyway, love, repeat.