Holding the Lotus to the Rock

Sariputta said (SN 21.1): “There is nothing in the world with whose change there would arise in me sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, and despair.” It is hard to remember the Buddha’s teachings when the mind is beset with fear and anxiety. But we can escape from these bonds by disempowering the hindrances, calming the mind and seeing with greater wisdom. For this process to bear fruit, we have to fully trust the path alone and not put our trust in the world.  Given at a Satipaññā Insight Meditation Toronto annual retreat, Chapin Mill, Batavia, Rochester, NY in 2016.