Human life often revolves around four pairs of opposites: pleasure and pain, gain and loss, fame and disgrace, praise and blame. These desires and aversions become the force that pull us through joy and sorrow, lifting us with hope only to sprint against fear.

We chase after pleasure and praise, fearful of the sting of pain or disgrace. But this pursuit traps us in a cycle, never allowing us to rest in the present. Our hearts become tethered to outcomes, fluctuating with the forces of fortune.

True freedom lies not in the escape from these worldly concerns, but in the quiet awareness of their gravitational pull. By observing without attachment, we can step beyond the waves of desire and fear, finding stillness amidst the ever-shifting currents. Peace comes not in controlling the world but in loosening our grip, allowing joy and sorrow to pass like clouds in an endless sky.

Only then can we live with equanimity, untethered from the need to run away.


— Sincerely, Boris