Why the Open Heart?

Buddhists believe the “genuine heart” (bodhichitta) resides in all beings–no matter the selfishness or unkindness. It is the possibility in each of us to awaken, to change.

The genuine heart is neither neutral nor doormat. It is fiercely hard to be compassionate. After all, it’s so easy not to be. Why meet every situation with equanimity? For that matter, why risk a broken heart?

Elizabeth Gilbert says a broken heart is a good sign; “it means we have tried for something.” We are wounded but to wound in return only increases our pain.

Nor in the healing of the heart do we harden. We repair not to repeat but to renew, fortified in our compassion. We have a better understanding of pain for we opened ourselves to it. We tried something.

Equanimity is the spirit of risk, of accepting that the bloom is on the rose for such a short time but what a time it is. Never to risk the bloom is never to know compassion, that sacred space where we are taught what we need to know.

Aim for Even posts offer equanimity a dose at a time. No day or dose is ever the same, even if the aim is. You may read about the origins of Aim for Even here or on this site’s About page.