Precious Jewels & Zen

“The path of life may sometimes seem to be rocky and filled with difficulties, things that give trouble. Yet the longer we practice our compassionate heart meditations, the more we begin to understand that those sharp rocks on the road are in fact like precious jewels; they help us to prepare the proper condition for our lives.

The rocks are different for each person. One person might desperately need more time alone; another might desperately need more time with other people. The sharp rocks might be working with a nasty person or living with somebody who is hard to get along with. The sharp rocks might be your children, your parents, anyone. Not feeling well could be your sharp rock. Losing your job could be it, or getting a new job and being worried about it.

There are sharp rocks everywhere. What changes from years of practice is coming to know something you didn’t know before: that there are no sharp rocks – the road is covered with diamonds.”

– Charlotte J.  Beck and Steve Smith – Nothing Special: Living Zen

To Practice This Today: Reflect upon an event in your life that at first seemed unpleasant but turned out to be a blessing, and share that story with a loved one.