Pausing to Value the Abundance We Have

Every community has stories of inspiring individuals who grew up with deprivation and starvation, without comforts, but who felt joy from receiving even a small piece of cake, appreciating every morsel. We are uplifted and encouraged by them to navigate our own struggles with more grace and compassion. Conversely, if someone grows up being fed gourmet food every day, they may not appreciate the preciousness of delicious food because the experience becomes mundane. This is not to say that one must be starved to awaken to the tragedy of food shortages and global hunger, but only that it takes different degrees of personal struggle to soften some individuals to the suffering of others. In this way, there are people who, despite wonderful circumstances, struggle to feel contentment with what they have. Suffering becomes lodged in our consciousness when we don’t pause to value the abundance we have, when we don’t appreciate the satiation of our hunger, when we jealously ruminate over the fortune of others, and when we mourn the things we do not have rather than recognizing the happiness we do have.

Excerpt From
Loving Life As It Is
Chakung Jigme Wangdrak

Image: Hans