12/05/2023
A Life of Freedom- The Tricycle Community
"Most people think of being free as an absence of external constraints and the ability to do as we choose in any given situation.
But in Buddhism, freedom has a rather different meaning. The Buddha spoke of our essential freedom of mind and heart as the capacity to stay open, awake, and loving under any circumstances.
Life will always bring pain, loss, and hardship. But no matter what comes our way, we can always choose how we respond. This is our basic freedom. We can react from unhealthy and limiting patterns that create further entanglement and suffering, or we can meet the moment with compassion, acceptance, and inner spaciousness. When we can keep our minds and hearts open under any circumstances, then we’ve truly found freedom. "
