How can Buddhist practice help us navigate the inevitable missteps of life?
Drawing from her own journey through addiction and recovery, Laura Burges emphasizes that making mistakes is an intrinsic part of being human. She encourages us to meet our errors with compassion and curiosity, viewing them as opportunities for growth rather than sources of shame. By embracing our imperfections, we can cultivate a more forgiving and understanding relationship with ourselves and others.
Laura outlines several key practices to support this compassionate approach:
- Mindful Awareness: Recognize and observe our mistakes without judgment, allowing us to learn from them.
- Self-Compassion: Treat ourselves with the same kindness we would offer a dear friend facing similar challenges.
- Letting Go of Perfectionism: Understand that striving for perfection can hinder our growth and acceptance.
- Embracing Vulnerability: Acknowledge our vulnerabilities as gateways to deeper connection and authenticity.
Through these practices, Laura invites us to transform our relationship with mistakes, seeing them not as failures but as integral steps on the path of personal and spiritual development.
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Ryuko Laura Burges, a lay entrusted dharma teacher in the Soto Zen tradition, teaches classes, lectures, and leads retreats in Northern California. She received monastic training at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Laura co-founded the Sangha in Recovery Program at the San Francisco Zen Center and is the abiding teacher at Lenox House Meditation Group in Oakland. Shambhala Publications offers her Buddhist children’s books, Buddhist Stories for Kids and Zen for Kids. Her most recent book from Shambhala is The Zen Way of Recovery: An Illuminated Path Out of the Darkness of Addiction. Laura lives in San Francisco.
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CREDITS
Audio Engineer: George Hubbard
Producer: Tom Bruein
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