We see others' happiness on the surface. 

See through to the suffering and unhappiness 

that lie beneath. 

Looking through a friend’s photos from a recent family gathering, we see image after image of happy people. A father dancing with his young daughter, spouses opening a present together, nieces and nephews clowning around. Everyone is laughing and relaxed and comfortable with one another. Then we think of our own life, which pales by comparison.

Okay, we need to stop here. And reconsider. What we see is merely a snapshot of a moment in time. The lens does not delve into the frame-by-frame reality of someone’s life.

We’re looking at the public face, the one people instinctively put on when they step out their front door. If we could see them at home, just going about their business, we’d see that they too experience unhappiness and disappointment. We’d see they’re very much like us. And we’d realize that we’re not the only ones who are living imperfect lives.

We all are.

Not only should we do what is right . . . (Click image for video)

What if we like the practice,

but feel that we’re not making progress? 

The teachings make sense, we respect our teacher, we like the chanting. We might even enjoy visiting a center where the ceremonies are in another language! And yet, despite all this, we don’t feel like we’re making any real progress.

We hear accounts of people who are doing well in their practice, but we feel stuck in ours. And so we wonder “What am I doing wrong?”

Very likely we’re still clinging to our attachments. Attachment to what is familiar, to judging those around us, to meeting other’s expectations of us. Attachment to those we love, to all that we deem life-enhancing.

It’s like holding a cup brimming with Enjoyment tea and wondering why we can’t pour in any more. Might the problem be our ego? Our wanting to control, to please others, to reject that which we dislike, to hold on to what we enjoy while avoiding everything else. Are these what we really want? Or can we begin to see how they’re keeping us stuck when we yearn to move on?