Great bit of writing at the elephant journal, by Erica Hamilton, on an area that offers tremendous confusion for practitioners:
By keeping our eyes open in the face of suffering, we also choose to be present to everything that comes up in our minds and bodies when we see it, whether it be in ourselves or in the world. By making the intention to lean into the suffering in ourselves and in the world, we cultivate awareness and compassion.
Training in Buddhist meditation helps us to come back, again and again, to raw awareness, so that when we encounter suffering, we are ready to face it consciously instead of allowing our egos to choose a pattern of reactivity for us. With awareness as our guide, we can consciously choose among many paths of compassionate loving action.
via Genuine Acceptance is Not Resignation | elephant journal.