Four actions to help alleviate anxiety
October 21, 2024 | 8 CommentsAudio only version is here
Meditation begins at 9:10
I hope you and yours are well! As we get closer and closer to the US election, anxieties and tensions are bound to rise. We are in a state of divisiveness and fear. It is hard (impossible?) not to fall prey to sorrow and frustration.
I wish I could tell you that Buddhism had some solution to all of this. It does not. However, it does offer a teaching called the “Four Karmas” which gives us four very clear options for meeting the moments of our lives with something beneficial.
When I think of the outcomes I hope, wish, long for, my mind becomes heavy and fearful. When I think, what can I do right now to increase sanity, my energy returns. When my mind is in the future, all I feel is my powerlessness. When it is present, I see options and thus feel empowered. The Four Karmas offer us four choices for planting seeds of goodness.
I hope you find this useful! That’s the whole idea! Let me hear your thoughts if you’re so inclined.
With love,
Susan
PS The Open Heart Project sangha is a community within the OHP. We practice meditation together every day (whether live or via a recording), check in with each other on Fridays, gather for webinars and conversations about how to live our most awakened lives. Very, very helpful during this time of stress. Please join! It would be great to see you there.
In the face of all the challenges of today’s interconnected world, is optimism about the future of humanity idealistic? Perhaps it is. Is it unrealistic? Certainly not. To remain indifferent to the challenges we face is indefensible. If the goal is noble, whether or not it is realized within our lifetimes is largely irrelevant. What we must do, therefore, is to strive and persevere and never give up. -The Dalai Lama
categorized in: compassion, meditation, open heart project
8 Comments
I appreciate both your talk (the 4 Karmas), the meditation (integrating the 4 karmas), your writing during this very difficult time in our history (the importance of being present to this moment) and the quote from the Dalai Lama.
All the above are so enriching for me and I feel a connection to the goodness of humanity.
Thank you so much! Betsy
<3
Thank you yet again Susan for this clear instruction on the 4 Karmas. This “framework” is exactly what I need as I find myself spiraling downward into panic as the world seems out of control. (I know it’s me who is out of control here!) Both the geopolitical circumstances on planet Earth as well as the many weather related disasters occurring everywhere affect me to my core. I have just survived Hurricane Milton which made landfall right here in my neighborhood and between Helene and Milton, everything around me, in some places, is completely gone. I was a lucky one with minimal damage to my home, but friends around me have lost everything. The services we take for granted, like power, WiFi, cell service, garbage pickup etc. have been massively disrupted. The 4 Karmas teaching has helped me look at all of this with a stronger heart….one that can move through all of it, piece by piece instead of trying to “fix” everything all at once. Funny thing…the wonkiness of WiFi and cell service has caused this video on the 4 Karmas to re-play every time I open my phone to see if it is working!!! As you said, the Universe does speak to us in a variety of ways and I am getting the message….loud and clear! Thank you for who you are and the wisdom you share. You are a treasure in my life and one that I hold with deep gratitude and love.
Oh Cindi. I can’t imagine what you are experiencing and how you feel. And really glad to hear your situation is workable. How fortunate.
I’m so very, very glad the 4 Karmas reached you in this particular moment. Please keep me posted as you wish. I’m thinking of you and sending so much love. I’m grateful for the way our lives have intersected. <3 S
PS haha for the phone on 4 karma blast!
Thank you so much, Susan, for this timely teaching. I have encountered these transcendent Karmas before, but listening today, they seemed to settle in to my being in a way that has allowed me to let go of my many fears (at least in this moment). My gratitude is boundless…and really wordless.
Sending love, Lynne! <3 S
One thing I do often is focus on my day to day life and what makes me happy and not watch the news because I feel that it’s designed to agitate. Thank you for your teaching and these opportunities to share our thoughts.
fist bump emoji!