A GRATEFUL, GIVING HEART

Originally published at TaraBrach.com and graciously shared with ENDPAIN.

While Christmas is the “season of giving”, it is also the season of Black Friday, taking inventory of what we do and do not have, and overindulgence. In this 50-minute lecture, esteemed psychologist who has combined the science of clinical psychology with Eastern spirituality, Tara Brach tells us how we can look at the shadow side of Christmas in order to wake up the generous heart that is within all of us.

When the limbic system is at work in the brain, we often feel the “grasping of selfishness” which quiets our true desire to be generous and compassionate with our resources and love. Does it actually feel good to be selfish? is the question Tara asks throughout her lecture. When we examine the inquiry for ourselves, the answer is a resounding no. Selfishness, Tara points out, is actually a form of human suffering.

So how can we wake up to the true nature of our generous hearts and unlearn the unconscious forces behind our limbic system? By shining a light on the fears that drive selfishness, and looking into what it would really be like to imagine ourselves as an “other person”. Listen to the full-lecture below to hear Tara’s wisdom on how we can come to understand “the season of giving” this Christmas in a new and truer way.