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Hello my friends we're just going to jump in with some quick thoughts to help get through the week. This week something is going to happen obviously probably multiple things are going to happen. You know there are some things that are going to happen and I'm going to think oh my gosh that's great and there are some things that are going to happen and I'm going to think oh my gosh that's terrible and there are some things that are going to happen that I'm going to just think are okay or not even think about them at all. Will I be right? I don't know. I'm you know colored by my own perceptions as are we all. Something I think might be great might not be great for someone else. Something that I think is terrible might make someone else happy and something that I don't even pay attention to might be of the greatest importance to someone else. And so where does that leave us? Let's start with an awareness of my experiences or in this case your experiences as you're listening. Your experiences are your experiences and they are colored by your perceptions and what's happening may be good, may be bad, or may just be. What you control are your reactions and as I'm going to be saying more than once during this season pace yourself. There could be many things happening that make you unhappy or concerned or sad. Be aware of your feelings, your thoughts, your emotions, and how what's happening is influencing you. And work on getting to a place of calm and peacefulness because when something Something happens and you go to a place of outrage and anger, it's only yourself that you are hurting. Remember that holding on to anger is like having a hot coal in your hand and you think you're going to throw it at someone else, but in the meantime, all you're doing is burning your hand. Something may happen and you may feel very happy and very excited and you think, well, what's wrong with that? Well, what we're looking for is to come to this place of strength where we don't wear ourselves out. And so if you've ever celebrated something so much that at the end of the celebration you were exhausted, it's like that. Nothing wrong with being happy and celebrating, but just this is equanimity, right? Temper yourselves, temper your reactions. And for something that seems like it doesn't matter, I would ask you to consider why do you think it doesn't matter? Just for your own learning. What we're after is to really avoid the extremes as much as possible in these times, to avoid the extremes ups and the extreme downs. Not to become flat. I'm not saying let's get to a place of being emotionless and flat and depressive, but if we can get to a place where we don't wear ourselves out with outrage or judgment, that's where we can be strong and resilient. This week, I'm just asking, pay attention to what's bringing you to highs and lows. And what can you do about those highs and lows? And before we go, I'm going to leave you with a story from the Pali Canon, from the Kutaka Nikaya, from the Theragatha, which are the monks' stories. And this is about the four immeasurables. And those are the Brahma-Vihara. We've talked about them before. We've talked about them before on previous seasons. And the Brahma-Vihara are Metta, or loving kindness, Karuna, or compassion, Mudita, which is sympathetic joy, and Upeka, which is equanimity, which is what we're talking about this season. But we need them all. And so here comes from the story, the Sutta, the grain harvested, the rice gone to be threshed, but I don't get any alms. And so this is a monk talking just to insert, but I don't get any alms because the monk is relying on donations from the community. How will I get by? Confident, recollect the immeasurable Buddha your body pervaded with rapture. You'll be at the height of continual joy. Confident recollect the immeasurable dhamma your body pervaded with rapture. You'll be at the height of continual joy. Confident. Recollect.
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With them, I'll dwell in comfort. I won't suffer from the cold, dwelling unperturbed. And so for us, it means if we surround ourselves, if we draw on, rely upon the four immeasurables, loving kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, then we won't suffer from the cold. And why that's important to us this week and every week is if we are not suffering, then we have the strength and the resilience to meet what is coming our ways. So those are just some thoughts to help as you go through the week. Pay attention to the highs and lows. Work and pace yourselves. Try not to burn yourself out and hang in there. And remember that none of this is saying that it is okay to accept persecution and discrimination against others. Thank you. You've been listening to the Death Dhamma Podcast with your host, Margaret Maloney. Thank you so much for being here. Come find me on margaretmaloney.com. M-A-R-G-A-R-E-T-M-E-L-O-N-I.com. And until we meet again, may you be well, may you be happy, may you be at ease, and may you be free from suffering. Bye for now.