"The Buddha teaches us firstly to notice
how noisy our minds can be,
and how cluttered our hearts have become.
The noise and clutter are our own
reactivity to those of others
when we are unwilling or unable to feel
what others are saying or doing.
To “feel” here means to see beyond
our immediate perceptions,
and to learn from
what is unspoken and silent.
To feel is to see the whole picture,
and become a healing or joyful part of it.
Buddhism,
Buddhism,
as taught by the Buddha,
is a reminder that there are moments
when we need to forget ourselves,
to let go even of our Buddhisms,
to see beyond religion itself,
before we can truly see ourselves.
When we have even a glimpse of our true self,
it is easier then for us to see
the minds and hearts of others.
People can be full of precious surprises,
and it is always a joy to be surprised
by their goodness and joy.
by their goodness and joy.
To allow joyful surprises into our lives,
we must first remove what prevents us
from being surprised in the first place.
from being surprised in the first place.
This, you must uncover for yourself.
You must yourself rise beyond
and free yourself from this.
Surprise yourself."
An Extract from
Piya Tan's Reflection
(22nd June 2011)
The Minding Centre, Singapore
