Go to the truth beyond the mind. Love is the bridge.
Stephen LevineRead
If there is a single definition of healing it is to enter with mercy and awareness those pains, mental and physical, from which we have withdrawn in judgment and dismay. (48)
Interpretation
What this quote means
Healing involves approaching our pains with compassion and awareness instead of judgment.
This quote by Stephen Levine emphasizes the importance of embracing our past pains, both mental and physical, with a sense of mercy and awareness. Rather than withdrawing in fear or judgment, true healing requires us to confront these experiences thoughtfully and compassionately to foster healing and growth.
Themes
HealingPainAwarenessMercyJudgment
In practice
Example use cases
During a mental health awareness seminar, this quote could be shared to highlight the importance of embracing pain.
More from Stephen Levine
All quotes →In Chinese, the word for heart and mind is the same -- Hsin. For when the heart is open and the mind is clear they are of one substance, of one essence.
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I have seen many die, surrounded by loved ones, and their last words were ‘I love you.’ There were some who could no longer speak yet with their eyes and soft smile left behind that same healing message. I have been in rooms where those who were dying made it feel like sacred ground. (26)
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Our suffering is caused by holding on to how things might have been, should have been, could have been.
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I have seem even those who have long since abjured God die in grace. . . . Atheists don't use their drying to bargain for a better seat at the table; indeed they may not even believe supper is being served. They are not storing up 'merit.'; They just smile because their heart is ripe. They are kind for no particular reason; they just love.
Stephen LevineRead
Gratitude is the state of mind of thankfulness. As it is cultivated, we experience an increase in our "sympathetic joy," our happiness at another's happiness. Just as in the cultivation of compassion, we may feel the pain of others, so we may begin to feel their joy as well. And it doesn't stop there.
Stephen LevineRead
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