12 of 31 Questions for Reflection. Today’s question is inspired by reading Dṛg Dṛsya Viveka: An Inquiry Into the Seer and the Seen alongside a sacred text from the origins of Tantra called the Yoga Spandakarika by Daniel Odier.

What questions arise when I focus on the “sacred tremor” as an object of Vedanta meditation?

Once, a woman who was poor and suffering encountered a man who was a wealthy pleasure seeker. The man felt compassion toward this woman, so he invited her to join him for a warm meal at a cozy inn. Over the meal, he told her that his spiritual practice had brought him prosperity and solutions to his problems. He told her, “if you follow the spiritual path, I am sure it could really turn things around for you. It could turn all your suffering into good fortune. Would you like to follow me?” The woman looked at him and said, “Never.” He asked, “Why not?” She said, “There is nothing to turn around. I happen to love my suffering!” When the warm meal arrived, the woman overturned the table, laughed heartily, and left the inn. The man sat amidst the mess, baffled. He asked the innkeeper, “What’s her problem? Do you honestly know anyone who loves their suffering?” The innkeeper replied, “Sure, we see plenty of people come in here who say they love their suffering because what is suffering to one who feels the sacred tremor?”

Meditating on the sacred tremor, a Jnana yogi might ask, “The yogi says still the mind. The devotee says love god. The tantrika says transcend opposites. The swami says destroy ignorance. What do you say, dear One? How do you confront suffering?”

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