Parvati Magazine | Page 11

MEDITATION
self-examination and selfhonesty should form part
of our continuing practice, for the hindrance
patterns (called kleshas
or nafs) grow back in ever
more subtle forms. When
we know that spiritual
practice refines our consciousness and our conduct, we sometimes need
fierce determination to
continue on a meditation
path that seems to have
no material gain and requires long hours away
from social interaction.
After committing to considerable personal work,
we begin to learn how
fierceness can be used
in our interaction with the
world. Taking a breath before speaking; learning to
not write to someone in
anger; these actions begin the journey. When we
can calm the turbulent
waters of our emotions
yet see that strong action
is required, we can begin
to correctly use fierceness
to help others. This cannot arise properly from
any state other than the
open heart. Finding our
way to correct someone

else needs to issue from
a deep aspiration to help
another or to protect another from harm. The heart
needs to be open and we
need to be vividly aware
of how interlinked we are
with others. Unless we can
do that, we should step
back and stay silent, for
there is a karmic cost to
strong words and actions
that may re-bound on us
and create more suffering.
Learning to understand
the force of the fire element can seem frightening, especially to those
who think the spiritual
path is all about sweetness and light and never
feeling anger again. Yet
we need to understand
this force that causes so
much carnage on this
planet.
Acknowledging our own
rage, frustration and dissatisfaction from the safety of the meditation seat is
both humbling and purifying. Doing this alone, without a teacher, counsellor
or a sangha to support
and encourage a person

is perilous. Self-destructiveness could be the result and is, most definitely,
not the point.
We need to experience
for ourselves that all things
are shifting, changing,
evolving and dissolving.
Negative emotions are
like dark clouds that obscure the sun and colour
all thoughts, words and
actions. When positive,
emotions are clouds that
contribute to a beautiful sunset. Growing this
wisdom mind can occur
alongside facing one’s
fierceness.
Forgiveness
for oneself and for others must be part of the
journey. That does not
mean condoning harmful
behaviour by oneself or
another. But it is the start
of the transcendent perspective, that all things
on heaven and earth are
transient and essentially
empty in their own nature.
copyright © 2014 by Lama Catherine Rathbun

Catherine Rathbun received her traditional teaching name, Lama Jetsun
Yeshe, from Ven. Karma Thinley Rinpoche, a lineage master of the Sakya
and Kagyu traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, in 2002. She taught meditation at
York University (1989 to 1997) and is the founding teacher at Friends of the
Heart, a meditation centre in Toronto. With a background in dance — she
was a member of the National Ballet Company of Canada from 1962 to
1963 — and a modern dance career in England (1967-69). She is the author
of Developing the World Mind and Clear Heart, Open Mind, and is currently
working on a new book called Waiting for Truffles: Meditations for Daily
www.friendsoftheheart.com.
Living. For more on Catherine, please visit www.friendsoftheheart.com.