Such a long way to go with compassion and kindness
June 25, 2009
Rumi writes about how the light gets in (Leonard Cohen riffed on this idea in his song Anthem: There’s a crack in everything; That’s how the light gets in”). Rumi’s poem says: Keep looking at the bandaged place. That’s where the light enters you.
Perhaps that’s what a writer ought to do with both the good and the bad reviews; perhaps we should look directly at it – keep looking, keep walls down, keep heart open to criticism, and ask from the negative review: “Can you say more about that?” This question, from my teacher, CF. This advice, from my teacher. This echo of Rumi reverberates. Failed Buddhist is the perfect moniker for this site, for me. I suppose incredibly, profoundly failed would be overkill. I have so much to learn about compassion and kindness. I have such a long way to go when it comes to kindness and compassion.