Poison into medicine

Apparently it's good to suffer. This is foremost in my mind today, given that a whole set of tricky circumstances have built into a challenge of Everest-like proportions for me. And I have stupidly omitted to equip myself with the pre-requisite high altitude oxygen, crampons and protective clothing. Hmmm. It's gonna hurt.

You see I am being forced to find a new place to move to. Post separation, I had washed up in a small rented flat with my young child whilst I found my new bearings. It's been an achievement funding everything single-handedly, and all from the limited resources of a new small business. But I've pulled it off. Well all apart from growing the gold-plated, rock-steady personal finances bit that is. I figured something had to give along the way...

So now my tight wallet and interesting credit history have developed into the troubles that taunt me. Which have had a knock-on effect into a difficult housing problem - my latest blessing in disguise, through which I can grow as human being. I need to take this on board fast, and find some practical responses.

In fact I will need to be deeply Buddhist in finding them. I'm grateful for the concept that we can change our poison into medicine through chanting and practise. Our medicine only cures if we are wise enough to realise what exactly led us to a trouble, and what we can do to alleviate this for ouselves. Sounds obvious in some ways, eh?

"Suffering can thus serve as a springboard for a deeper experience of happiness. From the perspective of Buddhism, inherent in all negative experiences is this profound positive potential."

And yes it does all trace back to what is refered to as our "karma". We're pretty much responsible for creating our own experiences, good or bad. Taking responsibilty for this process is a good way to start turning something bad around. So my domestic situation is my own very special and exsquisitely painful life lesson. I'm swotting away like fury, trust me.