Flavors of Life

I’ve just gotten back from attending an afternoon delight, food-for-thought Buddhist conference at UC Berkeley. At After Mindfulness Urban Retreat, I was humbled and reminded by the community of like-minded people who strive to better themselves spiritually for the greater good and to serve others through compassion.

Here are some of the reminders from the weekend:

Life is never meant for you to go at it alone. As much as you want to be “strong,” it’s important to seek refuge in yourself and also others. Find your tribe, your cohort, your sangha, your community, whatever you want to call it, the intention is the same. Give love and also receive love. Let others be your teacher/your guide/your sensei. Let us learn from each other. Let love be our guide. Yes, fear will come along. Acknowledge it and release it.

You and me, we are human beings, and because of that fact, we are bound to not only experience joy, but also hurt. They come hand in hand. You cannot choose one without the other. It’s a fact of life. Accept it. When joy comes, embrace it. When hurt comes, acknowledge it and release it. You grow stronger because you taste all the different flavors of life, and when a preferred flavor comes along, you might start to relish it more because you know it won’t last forever. And that my friends is this life as I know thus far.