In the Eye of the Storm: Buddhist Practices for Taking Adversity as a Path

When we encounter difficult outer circumstances, our tendency is to want to avoid or fix them. When we meet challenging emotions, we want to suppress them or find a way to escape from what we are feeling. But these very strategies, in the end, often compound our suffering.

What can we do about adversity? The timeless Tibetan wisdom tradition of lojong shows us that we have another option. We can make the choice to “lean into” what is difficult. The profound practice of leaning in helps us discover that the very states we long to avoid—fear, suffering, loss, anger, and grief—are actually keys to developing deeper empathy, wisdom, and joy. We learn to find refuge right in the eye of the storm, to find stillness within the most difficult mind states.