We are on an Easter egg treasure hunt searching for treasures. The treasures are not painted Easter eggs. Rather they are our destructive negative emotions, often lurking just under the surface. You might think, “these are not treasure, they are painful and unwanted emotions, far from being treasures.” Yes, this is true. Let’s look a little closer. If anger, jealousy, pride, selfishness, and greed are not wanted, how can we get rid of them? Does ignoring them make them go away? Of course not. Does storing them in corners of our mind get rid of them? Of course not. Then how do we get rid of them? We must first acknowledge them. Only then can we work at getting rid of them. Next, we learn the specific antidotes – patience and tolerance for anger; appreciation for jealousy; humility for arrogance; love and compassion for selfishness; and giving for greed. Then we do our homework finding out how to apply them. That is why we are on a perpetual Easter egg hunt, for treasure more precious than painted Easter eggs. These “treasures” bring us deep peace and joy.
