What a wonderful world!
Cheri Langston 
On Taking Illness Onto the Path 
Apr 11, 2022 
Here is another anecdote from Cheri, who is suffering from a very painful disease, showing how she practices the Buddha’s teachings in those circumstances. This anecdote was written during the Russian invasion and war in Ukraine.
The song by Louis Armstrong, “What a Wonderful World!” came to mind this morning. And I thought to myself, “Where? Where is this wonderful world?”
I feel so sick again today. When aversion toward these feelings arises—which mostly happens when the pain continues day after day, week after week, and it’s so strong—that’s when I stop and just decide that the rubbish of my self-pity mind can take a hike. I have no patience with the rubbish of the mind afflicted by aversion. Every situation is workable. And then, right there! That is where it is—my wonderful world.
The pain and suffering and courage we are witnessing in Ukraine is unbelievable. People are suffering enormous losses; pain and horror abound. And still, helping others, they are doing everything they can to practice kindness, patience, compassion, courage, and the Dharma in whatever form the Dharma rains on them and is suitable for their dispositions. There it is—that wonderful world. Right there.
When all hell is raining down on their world and they are reaching out to help one another, that is when the song by Louis Armstrong, “What a Wonderful World,” actually makes some sense. It is a wonderful world when people work with their aversion, fear, and anger and use whatever happens in their world to help one another and spread love and kindness and little bits of joy. ?
Big thanks for all the help all of you at the Abbey so generously give in each and every teaching and talk, raining down on me like blessings.
Cheri Langston
Cheri Langston was born in South Africa in 1956. She is a mother and grandmother. She moved to America in 1997. Shortly thereafter, she began searching for more information on reincarnation and how life worked. She found teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on dependent origination and began to read everything she could get her hands on by him. She took refuge in 2005 with Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Chonjor Pal Sangpo and has been studying and practicing Buddhism ever since. Later, she moved to Spokane to be near Sravasti Abbey and Venerable Chodron, whose teachings have guided her ever since. She has also studied with other wonderful Dharma teachers and feels unbelievably fortunate to have such precious opportunities ripen in her life.
