Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.
Old Memories
Occasionally during, or shortly after, my meditation an old memory will arise. I understand this is normal. Yesterday, a very painful memory arose. It is something I wish I had never recalled. It wasn't anything that had happened to me, but rather something terrible I had witnessed.
I feel a tinge of guilt as well. I did try to stop it, but it wasn't stopped. I feel perhaps as if I should have tried harder to help.
I responded badly... I called into work and am now just seeking some perspective on it all. How do some of you deal with difficult memories that arise through meditation?
I feel a tinge of guilt as well. I did try to stop it, but it wasn't stopped. I feel perhaps as if I should have tried harder to help.
I responded badly... I called into work and am now just seeking some perspective on it all. How do some of you deal with difficult memories that arise through meditation?
0
Comments
If you have old feelings bubble up, just realize that meditation is doing its job. The guilt, the sadness, the anger you have surrounding the event is being healed. As your mind recalls the difficulty, just move back to the meditation object.
Consider the thought like a balloon. Let it go, first by giving yourself persmission and forgiveness, then by unclenching your mind.
If guilt is making you cling to that event, to punish yourself, stop it. You're imperfect and don't do all you can to help and protect others? Yep, you're just like the rest of us in the human race that all make mistakes! Feeling bad does not honor the suffering, letting go does, because it makes you able to skillfully and compassionately help those in need.
With warmth,
Matt
If you are experiencing reoccurring painful emotions like guilt or regret over something that happened in the past, you will need to let that go also. What has helped me is to forgive and forgive and forgive. To realize that what I did and the subsequent results happened because of my ignorance. Ignorance as in not seeing reality. Without right view what else would you expect.
This works well with the suffering you experience from the actions of others also.
Forgive then get back to the mindfulness of what is really happening now.
Best Wishes
I will act on your advice.
Such antedotes are often found in the Four Brahma Vihara, which are:
(1) unconditional love
(2) compassion (the wish to end suffering)
(3) appreciation
(4) equinimity
Regarding equinimity, the Buddha taught all beings are responsible for their actions. So here, we must determine who is responsible? For example, if we try to help another person but the other person is the major contributor to the dilemma, then we do not blame ourselves because the other person was chiefly responsible.
However, if we ourselves make a genuine mistake, then the Buddha taught all beings, without exception, are born with ignorance ('not-knowing'). This provides full grounds to exercise compassion & forgiveness towards ourself.
The Buddha also taught all mistakes are learning experiences and thus a cause of growth on the spiritual path. It is wise to try to develop an appreciation of this reality.
Lastly, the Buddha taught all things, all situations, possess unsatisfactoriness or imperfection. Thus we cannot control the outcome of every situation we encounter in life.
May your heart be at peace
DD