You begin to meditate, and you assume that when your restless mind finally settles, what you will feel is peace. Pema Chödrön says no one ever warns you about what actually happens. Your mind is like a pool of water stirred up by wind. Meditation does calm it. But when the water goes still, you can suddenly see all the old tires and skeletons and tin cans lying at the bottom, all your misdeeds leering up at you from the floor of that clear, quiet pool. She remembers telling her teacher, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, that she could see what she did far more clearly now, and it did not feel friendly at all. It felt like yuck. And yet this is exactly where Maitri lives. Maitri is compassion for yourself that neither condones nor criticises, that is not trapped in calling yourself right or wrong. It is the astoundingly unfamiliar ground between righteous indignation and shame, between acting out and repressing, between puffing up and collapsing. Pema calls it holding your seat. Someone says the talk is terrible and you fall off into shame. Someone says it is wonderful and you puff up. That is spinning out, and it is what happens whenever we let praise and blame move us instead of simply feeling them, cold turkey, in the body. Seeing clearly is the honesty half of Maitri. The kindness is the other half, and neither one is easy. But the language Pema was given from the beginning is the part she has always found most helpful: this practice is beginning to discover your own humanness. And that discovery is not isolating at all. It is precisely what connects you to every other person, the shared, ordinary, difficult condition we are all in together. Want to go deeper with Pema Chödrön? Join Sounds True One for more teachings like this. Get your first month FREE at https://bit.ly/4ctecMn Subscribe to Sounds True's YouTube Channel ► https://bit.ly/SubscribeSTYT Sounds True is a mission-driven learning and media company, and a recognized leader in wellbeing, personal growth, and spiritual transformation. Partnering with the world’s foremost wisdom teachers and best-selling authors, the company reaches millions worldwide with its unique programs, digital learning experiences, and worldwide events. The company also features a variety of original series, weekly shows, and live online experiences on Sounds True One, its global platform and community with members across more than 125 countries. Sounds True is a Public Benefit Corporation and also the home of the Sounds True Foundation. Connect with us: ▪️Facebook: http://bit.ly/2XFIIeE ▪️Instagram: http://bit.ly/2UlEoiH ▪️Website: http://bit.ly/2tOl02d