As I sat down to dinner last night, I opened Pema Chodron's Comfortable With Uncertainty. I've had the book for several weeks now and have perused through a few times, pausing to reflect quickly on various short chapters. Last night, I decided I would start from the beginning. Immediately after the title page, Chodron presents the following:
May all sentient beings enjoy happiness and the root of happiness.
May we be free from suffering and the root of suffering.
May we not be separated from the great happiness devoid of suffering.
May we dwell in the great equanimity free from passion, aggression, and prejudice.
Heavy. After reading this I just sat there for a few minutes. For some reason, I found myself focusing on the idea of being free from passion. I regard myself as an intense person (and have been told more than once that this is the case). I am a firey aries afterall. Passion is a big part of who I am. In fact, it is passion that often guides my thoughts and actions.
And then something clicked. Maybe instead of leading me, my passion is actually holding me back. I've always regarded passion as essential. What do we have if we don't have passion? We are often taught to believe that a relationship should have passion. A career should have passion. Even hobbies should have passion. Without passion, we often feel that something is missing. Maybe we don't "want it" enough. Maybe our partner doesn't "want it" enough. But, maybe the real question is, what do we have if we do have passion?
We have strong attachment to the idea of something. But what do we actually have? Perhaps our passion blinds us from seeing what is "real" as we are so focused on our idealized version of what this something is or should be.
Passion is a feeling, not reality. It is not tangible. And, it is impossible to maintain over time. When it dies down, what are we left with? What happens if we acknowledge the passion we feel without letting it take us away? Sure, sometimes we will have strong feelings toward partners, work, etc. And, other times we won't. Is it possible to acknowledge both of these states as simply part of our life experience without judging or engaging them?
What are your passions? How do they impact your everyday experience?
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