The state of ease that I talk about holds the suffering, the craziness, everything that this world is—and knows that it’s all okay. It’s a sense of transcendence, not outside of, but within the fullness of life. It’s like when you walk to the top of a mountain and see the landscape from a different perspective. Living in the valley, you only saw trees around you but now, up above, you see valleys and rivers and everything as far as the eye can see. After you come back down to the flatlands, you remember the view from up there. Then, even if conditions are not supportive of happiness—if, for example, you fall into a hole (and there are plenty of holes)—you can still recall the bigger picture.
Nikki Mirghafori
Spirit Rock Residential Teacher
Nikki Mirghafori, PhD, is a Buddhist teacher and Artificial Intelligence scientist. She was empowered by the living Burmese meditation master Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw, with whom she practiced the jhanas and detailed analytical vipassana. She serves as a Stewarding Teacher and on the Board of Directors at Spirit Rock.