Trauma and Psychological Wounds
Article
Audio Dharma Talk
Current triggers may cause unfinished business from our past to surface from our unconscious and cause us to feel haunted, disquieted, or inauthentic. Mindfulness helps us recognize our suffering and the ghost that has arisen. We want to bring these experiences to the forefront so we can respond in the present moment with compassion.
Practicing forgiveness is not about being able to forgive in the moment; it is about having the intention to forgive, even if our ability to forgive right now is lacking. Why do we resist forgiveness? Why is it so hard to move on in our lives? These are questions worth investigating if we wish to experience greater loving-kindness, compassion, and freedom from suffering.
What is the role of the Self in spiritual development? What we think of as being the Self is really our ego, which is a useful, organizing complex within our body of experience. The ego has a sense of boundaries and helps us discern whether our boundaries are wholesome or unwholesome. Boundaries may be sexual, physical, or involve possession and may entail a lover, family, or a group of people. Buddhist precepts show us how to respect boundaries, both our own and those of others.
In the wake of the bombing of the World Trade Center, we would do well to remember the Buddha’s teaching that only love dispels hate and to practice forgiveness — forgiveness for the person, not the act. Forgiveness is clouded by pain and confusion. Resentment can be so strong that it impedes our ability to forgive. Reflection helps us to see the way things are. When we practice forgiveness, we are doing it to find freedom for ourselves and to stop the cycle of hatred in the world. Forgiveness reflects our deepest values and is a way to be proactive, not reactive.
Practicing forgiveness is not about being able to forgive in the moment; it is about having the intention to forgive, even if our ability to forgive right now is lacking. Why do we resist forgiveness? Why is it so hard to move on in our lives? These are questions worth investigating if we wish to experience greater loving-kindness, compassion, and freedom from suffering.
