every front has a back
every front has a back
The third hint is deeply related to the first two. Sincere practice of the first hint coupled with detachment, the gift of the second hint, drives us to the inevitable conclusion that the world is dualistic. Good and bad go together. It is impossible to have one without the other.
Several years ago, Austin, Texas experienced an ice storm that coated the streets with about a quarter inch of black ice. This made driving quite dangerous if not downright humorous. Cars became three thousand pound sleds. In an attempt to alleviate this condition, the city street department threw down sand which made the streets at least passable. After the ice melted however, the crashes continued. The sand dumped on the streets to increase tire traction on ice, reduced it when the streets became dry. Sand on dry pavement is quite dangerous. Everything is like this.
An unexamined life is fraught with the silly belief that somehow, some way we can grab just the ‘good’ half of the dualism, that there is some way to snag happiness without any ‘negative’ consequences. The main game that the mind plays is: seek and do not find. We spin our wheels pretending that we will be happy if we find just the right relationship, the right job, or even the right spiritual practice or teacher. This never works!
A deep understanding and acceptance of the validity of the third hint positions us to stop wiggling (searching for what cannot be found) and to realize the truth of the fourth hint.
