“Feelings, whether of compassion or irritation, should be welcomed, recognized, and treated on an absolutely equal basis; because both are ourselves. The tangerine I am eating is me. The mustard greens I am planting are me. I plant with all my heart and mind. I clean this teapot with the kind of attention I would have were I giving the baby Buddha or Jesus a bath. Nothing should be treated more carefully than anything else. In mindfulness, compassion, irritation, mustard green plant, and teapot are all sacred.”

I discovered Buddhism 20 years ago when I had just been discharged from the Army. I was depressed, lost, wandering in the world with no direction or desires. I moved into a farmhouse in the middle of a Wisconsin cornfield and learned to live with myself while feeling like I had failed. The teachings of Buddha helped me realize that my path had led me to exactly where I needed to be. That I am always right when I need to be. I learned that my suffering could cease, that if I let go of the attachment that I had on my feelings of disappointment and expectation, that I could feel peace. I haven’t always been very good at these things, but the point of Buddhism is not to be perfect or always make the right decisions. It is in knowing that it’s okay to fail. It’s okay to be angry or hurt or struggle with mental health. We are all perfect and complete just as we are. There is great beauty in that.