The Second Arrow is Optional!

Gil Fronsdal wrote a lovely little book of essays on mindful practice that he offers for free online, “The Issue at Hand.”  My wife sat with Gil at a retreat some years back and received a free hard copy of this book.  I love to pick it up and reread these chapters. 

http://www.insightmeditationcenter.org/books-articles/the-issue-at-hand/

Jump to Chapter 14: Mindfulness of Emotions, there he writes: 

The Buddha once asked a student, “If a person is struck by an arrow is it painful?” The student replied, “It is.” The Buddha then asked, “If the person is struck by a second arrow, is that even more painful?” The student replied again, “It is.” The Buddha then explained, “In life, we cannot always control the first arrow. However, the second arrow is our reaction to the first. This second arrow is optional.”

This is just a lovely chapter on the typical trap that we fall into.  Every emotion that comes up is acceptable.  But, we often start telling stories about that emotion.  Sometimes we tell positive stories, but more often we tell ourselves negative stories.  The Inner Critic is often lurking to comment just after every emotion. 

Gil goes on to describe methods of dealing with the original emotion, just as it is.  He describes, Recognition, Naming, Acceptance, and Investigation.  I won’t repeat his essay here.  Download this little gem of a book. 

Don’t be put off by the subtitle “Buddhist” essays.  These are just both simple and profound directions for practice.  Reading this little book and practicing the exercises within will jump you up on the evolutionary scale. 

Thanks Gil!