Response

When people come to my room on retreat with their life problems and difficulties, I don't really have anything to say to them.

I listen of course and offer compassionate Dhamma, but I don't have a view as to how they should live except in the broadest sense of, with love and awareness.

With loving awareness we recognise that we don't control the environment we are part of, we don't control other beings and we don't control this mind and body, so just relax a little bit.

Take a breath and be with the reality of life. Everything, including you, is in a constant state of change. Surrender into that and all your fear and difficulties will fall away into the emptiness of the universe.

Respond to each moment with love.

Respond to each being with compassion.

Respond to each situation with wisdom, but always respond.

The real problem is that you are not yet Awakened and so you continue to pursue the feelings called happiness outside yourself.

Put your loving energy into awakening and life will be understood in a different and non threatening way. It will be the same, but you will be open, loving and fearless.

This is what you can do to be happy.

May all beings be happy.