Theme 1: Embracing dukkha

Fully acknowledging and experiencing our pain, unpleasantness, suffering, loss and difficulty (the inevitable difficulties of our human condition) rather than avoiding these things by covering them up, distracting ourselves from them or wishing they weren’t true.

VIDEOS

Title: The Power of Vulnerability

Author/artist: Brene Brown

Relevance: This fabulous TED Talk is relevant to the dharma in many ways. The importance of embracing dukkha (vulnerability) and acceptance of this as a part of a fully flourishing life; compassion to self and other; dependent arising (the impact of the belief that we are or are not worthy of connection); and many of the ways that we numb ourselves to our difficult feelings (aversion). It’s one of those talks that leaves you speechless for a few minutes afterwards as it hits on such a tender part of being human.

Non-relevance: Nothing is at odds with the dharma.

Link: The Power of Vulnerability

SONGS

Title: All I want

Author/artist: Sarah Blasko

Relevance: The song is about coming to the point where you want to know yourself. It’s about the refusal to allow another distraction from this in the form of another lover.

Non-relevance: Only the fact that it’s assuming a ‘self’ but to the extent that this is seen as her unique patterns of dependent arising it’s not at odds with the dharma.

Link: you can sample it and buy it on the iTunes store

POEMS

See Theme 10: The Poetry of Self Compassion by David Whyte