Transforming Bad Circumstances: What to do When the Roof Caves In

Unconditional Healing with Jeff Rubin

When we experience great difficulty in our life, we tend to panic and “catastrophize”, because we’re so stuck on expecting our life to unfold in a certain way. So, this talk, originally given to a Healing Circle, is very much about looking at our attitudes and realizing just how much we are addicted to comfort and security, and how little we are prepared for the opposite - discomfort and uncertainty.

It is based upon Buddhist teachings first formulated by an 11th century master from India named Atisha. The talk’s original title, “Transform Bad Circumstances into the Path”, is one of fifty-nine slogans or aphorisms called Lojong teachings that are designed to train the mind in compassion and resilience. Atisha initially brought these teachings to Tibet from India over a thousand years ago, but they still hold tremendous wisdom and resonance for our modern culture.

In truth, this particular teaching only makes sense when we adopt a non-gaining, non-materialistic view of life, rather than adopting a rigid version of what should happen. Otherwise, any variance to what we expect to happen in life will be seen as something to deny, ward off, or remove, with no redeeming qualities at all.

I use examples from my own twenty-year history with a chronic illness, and how my experience led me to adopt the much broader model of health that we use today in Unconditional Healing. I also discuss the concept of reverse meditations which strive to see the nature of things rather than just the superficial appearance of things.

There are two books I’d like to cite if you’d like to learn more about these Lojong teachings. One is called, “Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong”. by Norman Fischer and the other is called “Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness” by Chogyam Trungpa.

After you listen, you can learn about and register for our next Healing Circlehere. (It’s virtual, there is no charge, and you’ll find like-minded folks with whom to practice meditation, and share the journey toward unconditional health and well-being).

To help support this podcast and Jeff’s other projects, while also receiving benefits and admittance to events not available to the general public, please visit our Patreon page here.
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