I often wondered why it is that when I get hooked, when I'm resentful for example, and I breathe with it instead of acting out, it feels like I'm sitting in the middle of the fire. I asked Kongtrul Rinpoche about this. He said, "Because by not doing the habitual thing, you're burning up the seeds of aggression." As each individual works with it in this way, it's not just a minor thing. It's an opportunity we're given not only to connect with the inexpressible goodness of our minds and our hearts, but also to dissolve aggression in the world.
Pema Chodron
