The Dhammapada is an important Buddhist text containing a collection of sayings and teachings attributed to the Buddha. A Zen teacher once told me that in such texts, the opening words are the most important. Unlike novels, which usually save the most crucial revelation for the end, 'wisdom' books present their key teachings right at the beginning.
The first line of the Dhammapada states, "Experiences are preceded by mind, led by mind, and produced by mind." This phrase is central to my work as a therapist. It highlights how the workings of one's mind shape their experience of the world. If our minds are filled with anger, we experience an angry world; if filled with jealousy, we experience a jealous world; with fear, we experience a fearful world. If we focus on what is wrong that is what we experience.
We live in a deeply complex world, filled with injustice, war and inequality, yet falling into despair is not helpful.
In therapy offices today it is common to have young people overwhelmed by despair for the climate crisis, never being able to own a house, have a job or financial security, overwhelmed by the relentless news cycle.
Yes we need to change the world, to be activists, but difficult as life can be, and I work with people who’s lives are more unfair than most can imagine, none the less their challenge is the same as mine, to be ok. In the face of the sorrows unfolding in the world, this sounds egocentric, but I know no better way.
As Joseph Campbell would remark, "joyful participation in the sorrows of the world.”
Sometimes we need to turn inwards.
