The idea to have a heart of compassion accelerates our spiritual life. We generate the quality “May I be of benefit,” then ask, “What do I value? What do I want to do here?” It’s all so impermanent! We’re living in a fragile ecosystem right now, with so many signs of danger, and yet we have to keep going with it. What else do you do? You get up and keep going. But within that, we wake up and notice: this is impermanent. Beings appear, they disappear. We forget—it feels like it’s all so solid, like it’s going to last. But it’s not that way. Things arise and pass.
Spring Washam
Spirit Rock Residential Teacher
Spring Washam is a well-known teacher, healer, and visionary leader based in Oakland, California. She has practiced and studied Buddhist philosophy in both the Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism since 1999. Spring is also a shamanic practitioner and has studied indigenous healing practices since 2008.