Squiggle & Heart No. 55

Every morning, after I stumble my way through 20 minutes of mindfulness meditation, and before I start on the coffee proceedings, I do about 5 minutes of LovingKindness (or “Metta”) meditation. It’s a simple process of well-wishing, specifically for the happiness and peace of my point of focus. I start with myself - may I be happy, may I be peaceful - and then move on to my future selves - may they be happy, may they be peaceful - and then usually move on to my students, my mentee, my friends, my family. And lastly, I muster my courage, and the courage of 2500 year’s worth of teachers, I touch my heart, and I wish that the current person attempting to lead the nation, and the unelected man who follows him around, be happy, and be peaceful.

We are being lead and controlled by an abused and neglected child. I can despise the actions and words of the adult, I can even find myself wishing he would disappear in one way or another, and still find a soft ache for the hurt young person.

He can amass fortunes, he can assault women, he can live above the law, but he will never know the happiness that I enjoy through service, through kindness, and through sitting still and being quiet. And for that I am sorry. I pray every morning for him to experience a spontaneous arising of Bodhicitta, and to have a taste of what true peace feels like.

Because if he did, the world would look a lot different right now. And as long as I may wish him well, there is something of mine he can never have.