Thirty-Six

"It is entirely possible for you to achieve immortality,
and to experience ab solute joy and freedom forever.
This practice of undiscriminating virtue is the means
to this end.

Practicing kindness and selflessness, you naturally
align your life with the Integral Way.
Aligning your life with the Integral Way, you begin to
eliminate the illusory boundaries between people
and societies, between darkness and light, between
life and death.
Eliminating these illusions, you gain the company of
the highest spiritual beings.
In their company, you are protected from negative
influences and your life energy cannot be dissolved.
Thus do you achieve immortality.

Remember: it is not that those who cultivate
wholeness and virtue in themselves do not encounter
difficulties in life.
It is that they understand that difficulties are the very
road to immortality: by meeting them calmly and
openly, however they unfold, and joyfully
developing themselves in response to them, they
become as natural, as complete, and as eternal as the
Tao itself."

I sometimes like to think that my difficulties are a proving ground, with a purpose for refining and focusing me as I move forward in life. With this mentality sometimes all I feel I move onto are more difficulties, but slowly I find this coming into balance with more peaceful, joyful things. I'm grateful.