Building Awareness

After purchasing a shiny, new, red car, I suddenly found myself noticing an abundance of red cars. Not because the world had suddenly taken a liking to red cars, but my consciousness of them had grown. This, my friend, is what I dub the ‘Red Car Effect’. I’ve observed a similar pattern while practicing Buddhism. The teachings tell us we are surrounded by wisdom and compassion, and suddenly they begin to manifest everywhere. The ‘Red Car Effect’ at work again! The world remains unchanged; it’s simply our awareness and perceptions that have evolved. Consider the multitude of daily compassionate gestures – a stranger holding open a door, for instance. Once we begin acknowledging these tiny acts of kindness, they start to unveil themselves everywhere. That is the Buddhist practice. Seeing the teachings everywhere once you know how to look for them.