to grow pearls.......

To grow pearls there has to be some grit in the oyster. Each of us also has our gritty question. All too often, however, we devote our lives to ignoring rather than working on it. According to Zen, it is this ignoring (avidya) which keeps us in the realm of suffering (samsara), but it is the grit (dukkha) which gives us the opportunity to liberate ourselves.......it is this very dukkha which is our best friend. Dukkha shows us that we need to do something about ourselves and shows us where, when and how to do it. By working with our own grit, we become a 'true being', a true pearl. We can be greatly helped in this process by 'good friends' (kalyanamitra).

~ Dharmavidya David Brazier, 'Zen Therapy'

:: link to Institute for Zen Therapy