“The Tibetan word for meditation is gom: ‘familiarization.’ Mindfulness should give us greater familiarity with the Four Fs that are the cause of so much pain. We will become aware of how suddenly these impulses arise in response to stimuli that make us irrationally angry, hostile, greedy, rampantly acquisitive, lustful, or frightened, and how quickly they overturn the more peaceful, positive emotions. But instead of being overly distressed by this, we should recall that it is what nature intended and that these strong instinctual passions are simply working through us. Over time and with practice, we can learn how to become more aloof and refuse to identify with them: ‘This is not mine; this is not what I really am; this is not my self.’ But it will not happen overnight; we have to be patient and understand that there is no quick fix.” — from Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life
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