peace & the summer sun

The harsh summer sun was beating down on us. I could only make out the gravel path and indistinct trees in front of me; everything else was reduced to a blinding white as I squinted into the distance. Leaves crunched underfoot as all thirty–something of us traipsed from our individual rooms on the compound to the Dhamma Hall, water bottles in hand. 

It was the fourth day of our seven-day vipassana course. Each sitting was challenging, especially afternoon ones in the sweltering heat. Focusing on physical sensations was a lot more difficult than it sounded; but every sensation was temporary, as we were constantly reminded; this too would pass. Nevertheless, at that very moment, it did not seem that way. At the moments that I felt discomfort, it felt as though the sensation would not pass. 

But as we continued, as I practiced more, I discovered the crux of the issue; the discomfort itself. I taught myself not to associate any feelings with discomfort or label them as ‘bad’ but just accept them along with their impermanent nature; and then the heat didn’t seem that bad after all.