The genuine heart of sadness
the genuine heart of sadness: "Through the practice of sitting still and following your breath as it goes out and dissolves, you are connecting with your heart. By simply letting yourself be as you are, you develop sympathy toward yourself." ( "The sitting practice of meditation is the means to rediscover basic goodness, and beyond that, it is the means to awaken this genuine heart within yourself. When you sit upright but relaxed in the posture of meditation your heart is naked. When you awaken your heart in this way, you find, to your surprise, that your heart is empty. ... Your entire being is exposed - to yourself, first of all but to others as well. ... If you search for awakened heart, if you put your hand through your rib cage and feel for it, there is nothing there except for tenderness. You feel sore and soft, and if you open your eyes to the rest of the world, you feel tremendous sadness." "The genuine heart of sadness comes from feeling that your nonexistent heart is full. You would like to spill you heart's blood, give you heart to others. For the warrior, this experience of sad and tender heart is what gives birth to fearlessness. Conventionally, being fearless means that you are not afraid... Real fearlessness is the product of tenderness. It comes from letting the world tickle your heart, you raw and beautiful heart. You are willing to open up, without resistance or shyness, and face the world. You are willing to share your heart with others."
