Our experiences teach us that “heart-break” is a fundamental experience of human life.  We live in a culture that avoids pain and sorrow at all costs.  We can even use religion to sedate our pain and suffering.  But, as the Buddha discovered, suffering is a fact of life.  True spiritual practice enters into the pain and suffering we often seek to avoid.  We, precisely as human beings, have the power to feel the brokenness of another.  Empathy and compassion are fundamental to our quest to be humane.  Our humaneness reveals the true nature of what it means to be human.

 

The practice of “Heart-break” is contrary to the pursuit of greed, power, and status – with the Indigenous, I hear the cry of the Earth; with the Exiled, I long for home; with the Lost Child, I long for my mother’s arms; with the feared and hated, I long for safety and peace.        

 

We are creatures in need of love from the first moments of our lives.  We learn how to love by being loved.  Sometimes a deprived person becomes a person of remarkable love.  We are blessed by such persons and would do well to learn from them.  As painful as it might be, we must have the courage to remember our past afflictions and present hurts.  

 

We sometimes harbor resentments and lose heart.  We sometimes fear and lack courage.  We often forget the power of forgiveness and the wisdom of letting go and moving on with our lives.  We sometimes forget the dignity of others and the worth of self.  

    

Wise people take the time to engage their hearts, probe their lives, and be aware of their true feelings.  Perhaps the obstacles are stepping stones.  In the last analysis, the hardships, painful memories, and obstacles are not removed but honored for the wisdom they offer us when engaged.  As one “former street person” once said, “I can never walk past a hungry person in the street, for I was once hungry in the street!”  Obstacles such as anger, hatred, fear, resentment, and discontent might not be obstacles at all but keys poised to unlock the door of our hearts so we might see in ourselves what others seek and need.