Hi Mia,

Thanks for your post. It’s a good question. For me it’s dogs. Those big, brown, trusting, innocient eyes… Whew! Even thinking about them suffering makes me queasy. What kind of frame could make sense of that, could make it ultimately okay? I’m sure you’ve already heard the standard explanations. If there’s free will then cruelty has to be an option. How about, “this life is some kind of illusion so the suffering isn’t really real”? Then there’s always the idea that the elephant was bad in a previous life and is now paying the piper. None of that really helps does it? In fact, for me, I’m always going to mistrust any frame that tries to make innocient suffering okay, because it’s not okay. Now for the gobbledigook. The trick is to be okay with it not being okay.

What can that possibly mean? You say a voice whispers to you of suffering when you’re contemplating abundance. Trust that voice, it’s calling you to make suffering part of your practice. Instead of ignoring it or trying to make it go away, turn and look. Make as much space for it as you can. If you’re feeling strong and brave let it break your heart a little bit. See what comes next. Your journey will be your own. But, for a lot of folks, as Matt said, this is the beginning of compassion flowering. Compassion for the innocient, then for the guilty, and ultimately for yourself. When the elephant returns, make room, sit quietly, be present for him and for yourself.

No frame is going to make this okay. It shouldn’t. But, you can give it meaning, and maybe, possibily, discover beauty thereby.

Love, Norna

Well, seems you have met your inner Buddha and it’s screaming “SAVE THE ANIMALS”
A life path perhaps?

But how many animals can you save?

Perhaps you must start by changing the hearts of their keepers?

How would you go about doing that?

Remember, always remember THE POWER OF ONE

Your other choice is to silence the whisper and live with that karma… ah… so know I ask,, who is the hanging elephant in the corner?