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16 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

The Buddha is telling us where to
look. He’s showing us where to find
our true home, the place where we
can finally rest with the confidence
that our search is over. The key to
this journey is appreciation.

It might seem that appreciation has
no place in a world with so many
we now call “buddhanature.” He “spiritual” package, strengthens our
challenges. These days we are
had great compassion—and always deep-rooted habit to see the present
constantly reminded of our problems.
had. Timeless awareness and deep moment as a problem. But when all
Depression and anxiety are on the
wisdom were already there. The our effort and striving is based on
rise, climate change is creating
deep peace and serenity that he’d this belief, we can just get stuck in a
disasters all over the world, and big
sought so desperately was part of better version of samsara. We seem
changes in society are bringing to
his basic nature. The message that to be doing all the right things, but we
light so many things that have been in
I think Buddhism has to offer the never find our way out of the maze.
the shadows for many generations.
world in this troubled century is the
Buddha’s insight that we all have We all know what it feels like to
How could we possibly talk
buddhanature. be seeking and seeking, and never
about appreciation when we are
finding. It’s like drinking saltwater. It
confronted with such massive
In so many ways, we are just like feels good for a moment, but leaves
challenges?
the Buddha. We too find ourselves us even thirstier than we started.
striving desperately to find meaning
Appreciation isn’t positive thinking.
in our lives, to experience a little The example I’ve always loved is the
It’s not wishing things to be better
peace, pleasure, comfort, and image of a bird looking for its nest.
than they really are. Appreciation
security. We chase after fleeting The bird might fly far away looking
is taking the time to notice what’s
experiences and place our full trust for food, but it will always return
already here, what we have right
and confidence in them, with the home. As long as it hasn’t found its
now in this very moment. This
hope that somehow, someday, they’ll way back to the nest, it will keep
capacity gives us the inner strength
lead us to lasting happiness. We try looking, and searching. But when
to work with our suffering in a
so hard to find success in worldly the bird finally arrives, it has no
skillful way, and to stay connected to
endeavors that never seem to pay off doubts. The bird knows it’s home.
each other as we do.
in the end.
We are a lot like that bird trying
There are so many qualities that
Many of us then give up and turn to to find its way home. We know
we don’t give ourselves credit for.
the spiritual path, but we approach it that all the fleeting pleasures
As the Buddha discovered, our
with all the striving and expectation of life aren’t going to lead us to
minds are naturally clear and aware.
the Buddha initially had. We assume lasting happiness. We know our
Our hearts are naturally open and
that the problem is us, that we need physical health is fragile, and our
compassionate. Each of us has
a tool to remedy some basic flaw in relationships and jobs will change.
tremendous wisdom. Although
our mind, and we then go to work But no one is telling us where home
we don’t always recognize it, this
using meditation to fix a perpetually is. All we can do is make our best
buddhanature is always with us.
imperfect present moment. guess, or keep looking in the same
places with the hope that we’ll
Every single day we do countless
The Buddha learned that all this discover something new.
things that express this
effort, even when it comes in a fancy