| Since all things are equally empty, it does not make any sense to be happy about one appearance but unhappy about another. Every appearance is, from this perspective, equally neutral. Instead, each appearance is what you make of it. It is a form of laziness to just allow our opinions and experiences of different appearances to be that which naturally arises when we encounter them. Our natural reactions are attachment and aversion, and if we assent to these reactions we will remain forever trapped within them and we will never know real freedom. If instead we realize that all appearances are equally empty, then we are free to do with each of them what we wish. We can equally use all appearances, and come to equally enjoy all appearances. Then nothing will have the power to interfere with our freedom of perfect happiness. In explaining this to kids, or to anybody else for that matter, it can be reduced down to a very simple phrase which can be repeated again and again: “life is what you make of it.” Every situation is “what you make of it.” If kids and people can learn this fundamental lesson, then everything else will take care of itself. |
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Kadampa Working Dad 
Thank you, certainly a good reminder for me.
Very nice. Just so happens to be what I’m trying to work on at the moment so I found this very reinforcing. Thanks Ryan
Thanks KR , i am gong to use it a lot !