Be that empty …
Days full of wanting,
let them go by without worrying
that they do. Stay where you are
inside such a pure, hollow note.
Every thirst gets satisfied except
that of these fish, the mystics,
who swim a vast ocean of grace
still somehow longing for it!
No one lives in that without
being nourished every day.
But if someone doesn’t want to hear
the song of the reed flute,
it’s best to cut conversation
short, say good-bye, and leave.
—Rumi
2. Tears
slowly, softly
3. The compassion of friends
Rilke, Teddy, Toni, Jonathan
4. Contemplation of the truth
I need do nothing.
5. Sleep and baths
slowly, softly
—Saint Thomas Aquinas
I must die. I must be imprisoned. I must suffer exile.
But must I die groaning? Must I whine as well?
Can anyone hinder me from going into exile with a smile?
The master threatens to chain me: what say you? Chain me?
My leg you will chain—yes, but not my will—no,
not even Zeus can conquer that.
―Epictetus
I must have the right to say “No.” Only I can give myself this right on a meaningful basis. My no is a function of some of the deepest compassionate feelings for myself. This no of mine represents whatever force I can bring against anything in me or outside of me which I recognize as being antithetical to my well-being. This no represents me at my most grown up. This no makes my yes meaningful. Without this no I am without healthy, self-preserving defenses against infantile aspects of myself … Without this no I am indefensible against the demands of other people and their desires.
―Compassion and Self-Hate, Theodore Isaac Rubin
