Upper West Side Buddhist Meditation Class

There is such strength in our hearts, strength that doesn’t collapse in the face of suffering, but grows stronger. That is our compassion. It is not a soppy feeling. It is the fiercest, most energizing mind we can develop. It shatters complacency and dissolves anxiety. It delivers a peace that changing circumstances can’t shake.

We sometimes think that if we really look at suffering, it will just make us sad and weak. Buddha taught the opposite: real compassion makes us fearless. It wakes us up from the lonely nightmare of orbiting on our own little ego planets—where no one ever wants to come to tea!—and gives us the courage to open our eyes. It fills us with joy!

It’s nothing we have to force. It’s already within us, part of our deepest potential, a steady, solution-oriented mind that naturally wants to jump in and help because it knows that real freedom is possible.

If you’ve ever wondered how to live with a more open heart in this complicated world, this series will show you how.