When you have deeply contemplated the patterns of your own life and made a commitment to self-care, your vision will naturally expand to include the suffering of others. You can say with real conviction, “I am not the only one. My parents, my loved ones and friends, cannot go through a single day without experiencing pain and regret, fear and longing. The same is true of every being all over the world.” Look around you with caring eyes, and you will see the countless ways that people suffer, how they sacrifice their present joy in hope of future happiness. Instead of turning away, trace out these patterns in the lives of those you know. Take your time: let it be real. Then imagine the same patterns at work in every corner of the world, from the beginning of human history.
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Excerpted from Gesture of Great Love: Light of Liberation by Tarthang Tulku (Dharma Publishing, 2022).
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