Via The Tricycle Community \\ Three Teachings: Pain

 

Browse our online courses »

March 13, 2025 Living and Practicing with Pain Everyone has experienced physical pain to one degree or another, and, as Zen priest Annalisa Rakugo Castaldo says, “One of the most interesting things about pain is that it is a universal experience but also utterly personal.” As counterintuitive as that may seem, Buddhist wisdom reminds us that pain isn’t an enemy but a friend. Mindfulness is a great way to greet this friend. The Buddha’s mindfulness instructions start with focusing on the felt sense. Through mindfulness we can see and experience that pain is not separate from us, and that trying to isolate and detach from pain can even cause more suffering. By investigating pain with curiosity and kindness, we can loosen its grip. As psychotherapist and spiritual teacher Robert Augustus Masters says, we can “skillfully relate to it rather than from it.”  We can still wish pain away; that’s only natural. But we can also work on releasing our desire to wish it away, and thereby soften its power.  This week’s Three Teachings offers three perspectives on living and practicing with pain. Forward today's teachings to a friend » Belonging in the Body By Sebene Selassie “We can bring empathy to ourselves by meeting pain with embodied awareness, curious about the sensations. It’s not that we long for the pain to continue. We can aspire for a release from pain, but we bring kindness and compassion to whatever is happening. We accept what’s there, without contention,” writes meditation teacher Sebene Selassie. Read more » The Noble Truth of Pain By Annalisa Rakugo Castaldo “So how do you practice with pain? I can tell you what I do,” writes Zen priest Annalisa Rakugo Castaldo. “I accept the truth that I want pain-filled moments to be different. Breathe. Recognize that the pain is not other than myself, that it is an intrinsic part of being alive. Breathe. Remember that pain is not the same thing as suffering. Breathe. Let go of my desire to be free of the pain. Breathe. Gently turn my attention to one of the other many aspects of the present moment. Breathe. Repeat as necessary.” Read more » A Painless Present By Robert Augustus Masters “As we slowly but steadily undo our various ways of fleeing our pain, the energy we’ve invested in getting away from our pain—as opposed to simply being with our pain—is freed up, becoming available for us to use for truly life-giving purposes,” writes psychotherapist and spiritual teacher Robert Augustus Masters. Read more » Follow Us