Parable of the Two Arrows
February 11, 2025
Last evening, we talked about the parable of the two arrows as a way of understanding how we can skillfully handle difficulty in our lives.
The Buddha said that one who does not practice, when touched by pain, "grieves, laments, beats his breast, and becomes distraught." It is like a man who is struck by an arrow, and then struck by a second arrow. The first arrow is the pain or discomfort or emotional stress that arises as an inevitable part of life. The second arrow is our mental and emotional reaction to the first arrow.
What practice teaches us is that we don't need the second arrow. Put simply, pain is inevitable; suffering is optional. By letting go of our thoughts, moment after moment, we come to realize that all of our judgment, blame, aversion and negativity as a reaction to the first arrow are "extra." We accept the pain of the first arrow, but don't add to it.
This reminds me of a quote from Joko Beck:
Life always gives us exactly the teacher we need at every moment. This includes every mosquito, every misfortune, every red light, every traffic jam, every obnoxious supervisor (or employee), every illness, every loss, every moment of joy or depression, every addiction, every piece of garbage, every breath. Every moment is the guru.
Joko challenges us to look at every moment as our teacher.
Thank you for your practice.
Ryoshin