Feeling Life’s Danger
In yesterday’s meditation, I was feeling my stress, and I got closer to what was feeding it. I realized that lately, life feels dangerous. It always does, but I’m feeling it more.
The political climate feels dangerous, especially with the President, who seems to thrive on chaos and lacks care for those different from himself. Life feels dangerous in terms of the climate, with countless ecological assaults on the natural world. It feels dangerous in terms of getting older, with all the things that can and do go wrong, both with myself and with those I love.
Uncertainty itself feels dangerous. I could really feel the edge — that expression “I feel on edge.”
Remembering Buddhist Teachings
In meditation, I vividly remembered the Buddhist teaching about things that are feared: danger and disgust. At first it sounds awful, but when I heard it years ago, it felt almost uplifting — like validation of what I already knew to be true.
Danger and the fear that comes with it are existential realities. And while I’ve lived a relatively easy life compared to many, I have still known fear. Some of it imagined, some of it real, both true in their own way.
The Bee Sting as Teacher
Later that evening, while walking across my yard, I encountered a bee. It defended itself and stung me on the side of my neck. A vulnerable place.
It was a shock — I was doing something mundane, safe, and suddenly I was in pain. For hours, all I could do was endure. My consciousness was altered, my mind consumed with the pain, the ice pressed to my neck, and the uncertainty of whether a stinger remained.
Looking back, those hours were one-pointed attention. A meditative state, in a way. Only the pain, the attempts to relieve it, and the attempts to distract from it existed in my awareness.
Needless to say, the bee reinforced my perception that danger lurks. In the morning, I had meditated on danger — and by evening, I was living it.
Grace in Reflection
When the pain eased, I remembered my Dharma talk. My mind couldn’t function as usual — I could only reflect on the bee sting and my altered state. But later, reflection brought clarity.
I realized I don’t have to push through every condition of life. I just have to live with them, as skillfully as I can. And I remembered impermanence (anicca): things change. Pain lessens. Life shifts.
This was, in its way, a fairly benign attack. But it still felt dangerous. And in reflecting, I could see the Dharma within it.
Closing Reflection
Danger — both imagined and real — is part of our human experience. Where do you notice danger show up in your own life, and how do you meet it in practice?
A Ritual of Reflection
We invite you to take a few minutes to sit in meditation with this teaching, if you wish. Afterward, you may find it helpful to journal.
✨ What are your thoughts and feelings on this topic?
✨ Is this something you would like to contemplate in meditation?
✨ Where do your thoughts and feelings go after reading this?
✨ Ritual of Reflection: How did that land for you?
About the Daily Online
This reflection comes from one of our Daily Online sessions, held every day from 9:00–10:00 AM PT. Each gathering begins with a short dharma talk, followed by meditation, journaling, and a chance for shared conversation with the teachers.
In Reflective Meditation, we encourage approaching practice with gentleness, kindness, and curiosity. Cameras remain off during meditation so each participant can practice in their own way. Afterward, a few people share their reflections with the teacher of the day, while others observe and learn from the exchange.
Learn more or join us at reflectivemeditation.org/dailyonline.
