In this life, we have one of two choices when it comes to painful events, past or present. We can either go on hating and fearing what we think life has done to us (or others), and let these negative reactions create our experience for us … or we can learn to use these same dark reactions to free ourselves from them. But just wanting to learn the truth isn’t enough; we have to be willing to see the truth if we want its liberating touch.

Hating the past and blaming it for the pain we’re in now seems to justify our continuing suffering. But whatever justifies blame and hatred is, itself, a part of — in league with –these negative states. And that’s what we have to see (within us) if we ever want to be free of whatever it is in us that has “good reasons” for tearing itself apart. It’s “common” spiritual sense: Love doesn’t hate anything; it sees (and knows) the secret unity in all it beholds. Light doesn’t fear shadows; it gently transforms them into open space.

When we know that whatever happens to us can be for the good of us — and choose to learn from these moments instead of burn over them — miracles happen. We can awaken to see that some of the best “gifts” we are given are the ones we want least … which is another whole story to be discovered by anyone who wants to be free.