Stopping the endless pursuit of getting somewhere else is the perhaps most beautiful offering we can make to our spirit. Tara Brach More Quotes by Tara Brach More Quotes From Tara Brach We're so used to presenting ourselves and getting approval according to our achievements that it's difficult to be authentic and trust that we'll be accepted just as we are. Tara Brach accepted achievement approval I think of depression as the mechanism that pushes down the pain of that loss. It tries to distance us from the loss but it lowers our whole energy level. I think that's a pervasive way we end up responding to loss or the anticipation of loss. Natural but not necessary. Tara Brach distance pain loss When desire for a certain person's attention becomes an "I have to have" kind of grasping, then identity gets organized around needing that and it becomes very solid and sticky. That causes suffering because we're not inhabiting the fullness of who we are, we're fixated and contracted on life being a certain way. Tara Brach identity suffering desire Presence is not some exotic state that we need to search for or manufacture. In the simplest terms, it is the felt sense of wakefulness, openness, and tenderness that arises when we are fully here and now with our experience. Tara Brach exotic states needs When we're awake in our bodies and sense, the world comes alive. Wisdom, creativity, and love are discovered as we relax and awaken through our bodies. Tara Brach creativity journey inspiring The Buddha never intended to make desire itself the problem. When he said craving causes suffering, he was referring not to our natural inclination as living beings to have wants and needs, but to our habit of clinging to experience that must, by nature, pass away. Tara Brach suffering passing-away desire Perhaps the biggest tragedy of our lives is that freedom is possible, yet we can pass our years trapped in the same old patterns. Tara Brach tragedy dream years But this revolutionary act of treating ourselves tenderly can begin to undo the aversive messages of a lifetime. Tara Brach revolutionary lifetime messages Just remember that everyone is struggling; everyone is living with fear and uncertainty and it doesn't matter what their politics are. Tara Brach struggle matter remember I speak a lot about what I call "the trance of unworthiness" which is really epidemic in our culture, this sense of "I'm not enough," or "something's wrong with me." Most of us have some level of it because our culture has all these standards (handed down through our families) of what it means to be okay. Tara Brach epidemics mean culture Underneath the stress is fear, and the biggest is our own personal fear of failure. Tara Brach fear-of-failure stress You have a unique body and mind, with a particular history and conditioning. No one can offer you a formula for navigating all situations and all states of mind. Only by listening inwardly in a fresh and open way will you discern at any given time what most serves your healing and freedom. Tara Brach unique healing listening Through the sacred art of pausing, we develop the capacity to stop hiding, to stop running away from our experience. We begin to trust in our natural intelligence, in our naturally wise heart, in our capacity to open to whatever arises. Tara Brach wise running art In a basic way, acceptance is seeing clearly what's happening and holding it with kindness. This is a radical antidote to the suffering of judging mind. Tara Brach acceptance judging kindness Discovering a richer quality of being-ness means to keep surrendering and letting go of resistance. Tara Brach quality letting-go mean We want to be in open, loving communion with each other and our greatest fear is intimacy. That it won't work and we'll be rejected. Tara Brach intimacy greatest-fear want Telling each other the truth and being who we are, and having space for the other person's vulnerability in being who they are, allows us to move in a kind of dance together that's very fluid and graceful. Tara Brach space together moving People have to find their rhythm. Some people have need for more contact and time together and some people need more space. Tara Brach space together people When I'm attached, I find that I don't see the other person as clearly because I'm more caught up in what I'm wanting. Tara Brach caught-up caught persons Most of us grew up with a very damaging story that something is wrong with us. Gradually - or as in my case, suddenly - we become resolved not to believe this anymore. It takes a dedicated practice to follow up on that resolution, because the conditioning is very strong to keep generating self-demeaning stories. Tara Brach strong self believe
