Greetings and blessings.
Thanks again for joining us as we continue our study of The Prophet by Khalil Gibran.
In this next segment,
The Prophet speaks of joy and sorrow together.
I've referenced before Thich Nhat Hanh in his book Peace is Every Step.
In one particular segment,
I'll share the meditation on compassion.
He says,
Love is a mind that brings peace,
Joy,
And happiness to another person.
Compassion is a mind that removes the suffering that is present in the other.
We all have the seeds of love and compassion in our minds,
And we can develop these fine and wonderful sources of energy.
The essence of love and compassion is understanding,
The ability to recognize the physical,
Material,
And psychological suffering of others,
And to put ourselves quote inside the skin of the other.
When we are in contact with another's suffering,
A feeling of compassion is born within us.
One of our pillars,
Principles,
In soul high yoga is karuna.
It's a Sanskrit word used most often in Buddhist traditions.
It goes beyond compassion and empathy to infer a groaning,
An action on behalf of another,
And your heart truly goes out.
And so it seems appropriate.
The Prophet has joined joy and sorrow together.
Let's begin with a comfortable seat.
You start to settle in.
You might close your eyes.
You scan your body.
Notice within yourself if you're holding on to any pain,
Any sorrow,
Or any joy.
Both are opportunities for gratitude.
Gratitude in times of sorrow,
Knowing that we feel,
And knowing that without mud,
There is no lotus.
And gratitude in times of joy,
Basking in the present.
So before we begin,
Just find yourself for just a moment.
Allow yourself just a moment for gratitude.
And from that place,
We'll begin with an open mind and an open heart.
And then a woman said,
Speak to us of joy and sorrow.
And he answered,
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the self same well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being,
The more joy you can contain.
It is not the cup that holds your wine,
The very cup that was burned in the potter's oven.
And is not the loot that soothes your spirit,
The very wood that was hollowed with knives.
When you are joyous,
Look deep into your heart,
And you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful,
Look again in your heart.
And you shall see that in truth,
You are weeping for that which has been your delight.
Some of you may say joy is greater than sorrow.
And others say,
Nay,
Sorrow is greater.
But I say unto you,
They are inseparable.
Together they come.
And when one sits alone with you at your board,
Remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.
Verily,
You're suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.
Only when you are empty,
Are you at standstill and balanced.
When the treasure keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver,
Needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
In our practice,
Sometimes use the term non-duality.
Although joy and sorrow on surface may appear to be opposite ends of the spectrum,
Greet them in your life as one.
Use both as an opportunity for gratitude.
Thank you so much for sharing your practice,
For joining us.
May you be happy.
May you be healthy.
May you find true peace within.
Namaste.
