A Rude Awakening (Link #618)
Speaker: Alex Rocha. Alex reflects on how a challenging situation led him to re-assess his progress on the path. Years of diligent practice may lead us to overestimate our attainments and allow pride to creep in. But a crisis that jolts us out of our complacency can force us to see how deeply we have really assimilated the teachings. We can regard such experiences either as obstacles or as opportunities to grow. Alex relates how he navigated this kind of experience to gain more humility and a deeper appreciation of shamatha, renunciation, taking refuge, and familiarization with the nature of mind.