Two Types Of Heartbreaks

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Hand-drawn art by Rupali Bhuva
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दो प्रकार से दिल टूटना , द्वारा पार्कर पामर

एक अनुयायी ने रब्बी से पुछा” तोराह हमें “ ये वचन अपने ह्रदय के ऊपर रखने को “ क्यों कहती है? वो इन धार्मिक वचनों को हमारे ह्रदय के अंदर रखने को क्यों नहीं कहती? रब्बी उत्तर देते हैं” इसका कारण यह है कि हम अमूमन जैसे हैं, उसमे हम हमारा ह्रदय बंद ही रखते हैं, और इस कारण हम उन धार्मिक वचनों को ह्रदय के अंदर नहीं रख सकते|इस कारण हम उनको अपने ह्रदय के ऊपर रखते हैं| और वो वहां तब तक रहते हैं, जबतक कि एक दिन हमारा ह्रदय टूट के खुल जाता है और ये वचन ह्रदय में उतर जाते हैं| एक हसिदिक गाथा

दिल टूटना मनुष्य होने के ही कार्य छेत्र का हिस्सा है| जब हम प्यार और विश्वास में हार जाते हैं, जब हमारे लिए बहुत मायने वाली चीज़ भी बेकार हो जाती है, जब एक सपना हमारी पहुँच के बाहर चला जाता है, जब एक अत्यंत कष्टदायी बीमारी से हम ग्रसित हो जाते हैं, या जब हमारा कोई अत्यंत करीबी रिश्तेदार की मृत्यु हो जाती है, उस वक़्त हमारा दिल टूट जाता है एवं हम दुख भोगते हैं|

हम अपनी पीड़ा के साथ क्या कर सकते हैं ? हम कैसे उसे अपने में समा के रख सकते हैं और कैसे उससे व्यवहार कर सकते हैं ? हम उस पीड़ा की शक्ति को कैसे एक नए जीवन के तरफ़ मोड़ सकते हैं? हम इन प्रश्नों का उत्तर किस प्रकार से देते हैं यह बहुत अहमियत रखता है क्योंकि अमूमन इस प्रकार की पीड़ा को, नहीं समझ पाने के अभाव में, हम हिंसा पे उत्तारु हो जाते हैं|

हिंसा सिर्फ शरिरिक हानि तक ही सीमित नहीं रहती है|हम हिंसा उस प्रत्येक समय करते हैं, जब हम मानवीय अस्मिता की पवित्रता का उल्लंघन करते हैं, हमारी अपनी अस्मिता , या किसी अन्य व्यक्ति की|

बहुत बार हम अपनी पीड़ा के कष्ट को उन तरीकों से सुन्न करने की कोशिश करते हैं, जिनसे हमारी आत्मा का अपमान होता है| हम शोर एवं उन्माद की ओर मुड़ जाते है, बिना रुके लतपूर्ण कार्य करने लग जाते हैं, या ऐसे पदार्थों के कूसेवन से अपनी चेतना शुन्य करने में लग जाते हैं, जिससे हम अपनी पीड़ा को और गहरा कर लेते हैं| कई बार हम इस मंशा से भी औरों पे हिंसा कर रहे होते हैं, जैसे हम मान रहे हैं कि दूसरों को पीड़ा देने से हमारी अपनी पीड़ा कम हो जाएगी| नस्लभेद, लिंग के आधार पे भेद भाव, समलैंगिकता के प्रति घृणा, गरीबों के प्रति उपेक्षा इत्यादि इसी विक्षिप्त विचारधारा के ही क्रूर परिणाम हैं| विभिन्न देश भी अपनी पीड़ा का हिंसा से ही जवाब देते हैं|

हाँ, हिंसा तभी होती है जब हमें अपने दुखों से बर्ताव का कोई अन्य तरीका नहीं सूझता |पर हम अपने दुखों की शक्ति का प्रयोग किसी और प्रकार से जीने की ओर कर सकते हैं, और ये हमेशा होता रहता है|

हमें उन लोगों के बारे में पता हैं, जिन्होंने जीवन में अपने अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण और निकट व्यक्ति को खोया है| शुरू में वे शोक में डूब जाते हैं, और उन्हें निश्चित लगता हैं कि जीवन अब इसके आगे जीने लायक नहीं रह जायेगा| पर एक प्रकार के अध्यात्मिक ज्ञान या मिश्रण से उनमे परिवर्तन आता है और उन्हें महसूस होने लगता है कि उनके ह्रदय में व्यापकता आई है और उनके अंदर करुणा का स्त्रोत्र बहने लगा है| उनमे दूसरों के दर्द एवं ख़ुशी को महसूस करने की छमता बढ़ गई है, और यह उनके अपने नुक्सान के वजह से नहीं,बल्कि उसीके के कारण से है |

दुःख हमारे ह्रदय के टुकड़े कर देते हैं, पर ह्रदय के टूटने के दो बिलकुल अलग तरीके हैं| एक तरफ़ एक ऐसा नाजुक परन्तु कठोर ह्रदय होता है जो टूट के हजारों टुकड़ों में बिखर जाता है, और उसके विस्फोट से हम स्वयं गर्त में गिर जाते हैं, और कभी कभी अपनी पीड़ा के स्त्रोत्र पे ही शस्त्रीय प्रहार करने लग जाते हैं|दूसरी ओर एक कोमल ह्रदय है, जो टूटता नहीं वरन खुल जाता है, और अपने आप में विभिन्न प्रकार के प्रेम को विकसित करने की क्षमता भर लेता है|यह कोमल ह्रदय ही है जो पीड़ा एवं दुःख को इस तरह अपनाता है, जिससे नए प्रकार के जीने का रास्ता खुल जाता है|

मैं ऐसा क्या कर सकता हूं जिससे मेरा कठोर ह्रदय कोमल बन जाए, उस प्रकार से जैसे एक धावक चोट से बचने के लिए अपने शरीर को ढीला कर लेता है ? यह प्रश्न मैं अपने आप से प्रतिदिन पूछता हूं| नियमित अभ्यास से ऐसा कम संभव होगा कि मेरा ह्रदय नुकीले टूकड़ों में टूट जाए , या टूट के किसी अस्त्र की तरह हो जाए, और ज्यादा सम्भावना यह होगी कि मेरा ह्रदय खुल के एक विस्तारपूर्ण रूप अपना ले|

ह्रदय को कोमल बनाने के विभिन्न तरीके हैं , पर सभी तरीके एक ही बात पे आ जाते हैं “ अपने में ले लें , सभी घटनाओं को अपने में समा लें|

मेरे ह्रदय में हर उस वक़्त फैलाव आता है, जब मैं जीवन के छोटे छोटे घावों को, बिना सुन्न करने की दवा के, सहन कर लेता हूं : जैसे की मित्रता या रिश्तों में कडवाहट आ जाना, एक नीचतापूर्ण व्यक्ति का मेरे कार्य पे टिपण्णी करना, किसी ऐसे कार्य में विफलता, जो मेरे लिए महत्व पूर्ण था| मैं अपने ह्रदय की कोमलता का अभ्यास जीवन की छोटी छोटी घटनाओं में ख़ुशी ढूँढ के भी कर सकता हूं: किसी अंजान व्यक्ति का मेरे प्रति छोटा सा दयापूर्ण बर्ताव, कहीं दूरी में रेल की ध्वनि जो बचपन की यादों को ताज़ा कर दे, और एक छोटे बच्चे की किलकारी जिसके साथ में लुक्का छुप्पी का खेल खेल रहा होता हूं| हर चीज़ को अपने अंदर समा लेना , चाहे वो अच्छी बात हो (सुखदायक ) या बुरी बात हो (दुखदायक), यह एक ऐसा अभ्यास है जिससेधीरे धीरे मेरा बंद मुट्ठी रुपी ह्रदय ,खुल के, खुले हाथ का स्वरुप ले लेगा|

मनन के लिए बीज प्रश्न : इस धारणा को आप कैसा मानते हैं कि ह्रदय को कोमल बनाने के लिए हमें सभी चीज़ों को अंदर समा लेना होता है? क्या आप एक ऐसी निजी कहानी साझा कर सकते हैं जब आपने जीवन के विभिन्न दुखों को बिना सुन्न करने वाली दवा के अपनाया हो? आप को हर चीज़ , चाहे वो सुखदायक हो या दुखदायक , अपने में समा लेने में किस चीज़ से सहायता मिलती है?
Seed Questions for Reflection

How have you experienced two types of heartbreaks -- brittle heart that breaks apart into a thousand shards, and a supple heart that breaks open, not apart, into greater capacity for the many forms of love? How do you relate to the notion that to make our heart supple, we have to take it all in? Can you share a personal story of a time you were able to take in 'life's little death' without an anesthetic? What helps you take all of it in, good and bad?

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Add Your Reflection

31 Past Reflections
UL
Mar 17, 2026
Yes I have experienced both ...
The journey from brittle to supple was not an easy one
It takes courage and depth to pass through that fire ...to be open to forms of love never imaged never experienced...n that fills the heart in explainable ways and expression
JK
Mar 7, 2025
I am not sure I have ever had a time when my heart broke apart into 1000 shards. I have had mournful sadness that leaves my pillow wet with my tears and also can lead to a torrential rain of unexpected tears This happens with news of the death of beloved elders as well as people who made a huge difference in our society. The tears feel normal to me. Those tearful experiences typically also are about the loss of a beloved relative, friend or 4 legged being who has been a part of my extended family. The grief runs deep both for family and animal companions. I can still see our animals' faces as I hold them close while a vet assists with their pain and dying. I still cry over the two cats and the rabbit whom we lost this year along with two very senior dogs. Just writing of their losses brings up tears now of gratitude for their arrival into my life and for the loving spirits of their respective souls. The inevitability of their cancers was a certainty and we let them go when their breat... View full comment
AL
Mar 7, 2025
… and once the heart breaks open the sacred and holy words drop in to nourish this new, unfolding soul in that one and in all of us… across all the lands, across time and space
AS
adrian symonds
Feb 27, 2025
My brittle heart...upon the breakup of a six year relationship marred by my partner's jealousy which I could no longer tolerate...I descended into anger, judgement of course and other forms of protection.

My subtle heart...upon the breakup of a two year relationship marred by distance apart and the impossibility of merging two families, I recognized there had to be a love that allowed such great impossibilities to co-exist even though the possibility of reuniting remained negative.
MY
Myrtle
Jun 18, 2024
I love this. When the heart cracks open, love flows in and out, like a breath of fresh air.!
AT
Adriana TD
Feb 15, 2023
I love the idea of an open heart but before we "take it all in," I feel it's important to first "take ourselves in." We cannot truly be open to others until we have decided to be open to everything in ourselves: the beauty, the ugliness, the pride, the shame, the flaws, the strengths. Once we are unafraid of our depths, our power, our dark and our light, once we can love ourselves first, we can then love others for the timeless beings that they are....and we do not take anything they do personally. The truly supple heart sees no difference between light and dark...good and bad are just labels.
PR
Peg Runnels
Jan 15, 2023
unless
BA
Barbara
Jan 15, 2023
Sometimes when I hear a terrible story from someone's life, such as being abused as a child - my own heart can't hold it, and I open it to allow God/Spirit to hold it as I am also held.
MW
Maggie W Jan 15, 2023
I bet that works!!
SH
Jan 15, 2023
Lovely illustration
GR
Sep 25, 2022
What an honor to read your comments!! I take them to heart :) and have clarity now about the way to go to expand my heart and to deal with the hardships of life! Thank you so much Parker Palmer!
May 16, 2022
To make our heart supple you do need to take it all in, However you can take piece by piece over length of time and with all the stages of grief ,Defense mechanism.
What helped me to take all in without Anastasia is the understanding from previous traumas that the only way is through it.
was hard for me to see all my boys three"choosing to live with dad" . It happened after me was involuntarily in a pedestrian vs car accident and not at home four months.I understood that now they are grown up and made a decision . I need to respect it and continue to heal!Hope for them to find a space to visit with me too!
hard to let go and fight reality.good to know that I did not give up on them .
KK
Karen Kessler
Apr 30, 2022
Currently I’m going through a time where my oldest brother, an evangelical Christian and dying from cancer, is lashing out at family members who he feels are living a life of sin and are going to hell (myself as a yogi, my twin as gay). This gave me such a beautiful perspective to understand why he is being violent against others and to stretch my own heart to not retaliate.
MA
Margaret Ann Jackson FSM
Apr 27, 2022
Nice to hear from you. I hope you are doing well. Some months ago I moved into The Sarah Community which is close to DePaul Health Center.
God bless you!
PA
Apr 26, 2022
It has been said that all of life in this broken, violent world is holding great suffering in and with Greater LOVE. }:- a.m.
ME
me Apr 26, 2022
True.🌱
DA
David+Doane Apr 28, 2022
I also believe Greater Love is the big picture.
DM
Don MacWatt
Apr 26, 2022
I am happy to have received this essay and felt much benefit from its insightful message. One I also ponder each day and when it’s possible, to share with a friend.
ME
me Apr 26, 2022
Me too!
WE
Apr 26, 2022
I have mixed feelings on the notion. I think it is only human for ones heart to shatter after something devastating, but like those Kintsugi pots that are put back together with gold, embracing the cracks and pieces, we come back whole even after something horrible. A recent time I had to grow from a little death was when I watched an undercover video on the tremendous pain laboratory dogs are put through when people test on animals. These animals were screaming in pain as people in lab coats injected toxins into them to see what would happen. I was sick and angry and hateful, but my husband reminded me of all the progress we are making to end that, and that the reason I saw that video was because the heroes trying to end it are in the labs recording the footage to gain awareness and spark change. Knowing that dug me out of my hole and inspired me to find ways to help in any way I can.
ME
me Apr 26, 2022
:(
DA
David+Doane Apr 28, 2022
I think you writing what you wrote also helps.
JU
Juliet
Apr 26, 2022
Need to study Forensic science
JS
Apr 25, 2022
What helps me to take it in is good stories such as The Wheel of Time presently. Apart from that, the concept of Suchness in Buddhist philosophy helps. I make it a personal training in Focus to bring my mind, as it wanders in forests of pain, back to the Pool of Suchness. Returning to The Peace of the Present Moment.
DD
Apr 25, 2022
I believe the heart is supple by nature and our nature is to take it all in. I believe we learn to fear and build an inner wall to not take it all in which results over time in a dried up, hard and brittle heart. There are times that I have taken in life's deaths with healthy anesthetics, mainly care both given and received, and with involvements that have been good for me and others, all of which have helped me to accept the life death and have resulted in making my heart more soft. For me, unhealthy anesthetics are those that deny or fight the life death, such as many drugs, legal and illegal, which leave the heart walled off and result in its becoming more hard and brittle. What helps me is knowing that it's all reality that I'm being presented with and my accepting that and dealing with it keeps me and my heart supple, growing and alive.
DE
Deanne Apr 26, 2022
Beautifully written. I agree, our hearts are supple by nature. Not brittle and closed. The way we are accepted or not by family, classmates, bosses and bullies can put walls around our shame of not being what others want us to be. When we find a gentle way to walk through and find ourselves, the heartbreaking events that always arise can be processed, as our suffering is open to the grace of ourselves and our openheartedness to Life.
DA
David+Doane Apr 28, 2022
Thank you for responding. It is we, not others, who put walls around our selves, our hearts -- maybe for good reason it is we who do it.
JP
Apr 22, 2022
Yes. " Heartbreak comes with the territory called being human." as Parker Palmer says in this passge. As human beings we all go through all kinds of sufferings-physical, mental, emotional and relational. Our challenge is how do we turn the power of suffering toward new life. Trying to numb the pain of suffering as anesthetics deepens our suffering. Keeping our heart suppressed and closed and making it hard and inflexible creates more suffering. When I relate to my suffering and or someone's suffering with an open, subtle and compassionate heart, I develop greater capacity to take in my sorrows and joys. This is spiritual alchemy.
I have encountered many losses in my life causing a lot of emotional pain. And I have learned how to relate to my painful experiences by keeping my heart open and processing my pain with loving kindness. This is the way I relate to "life's little death" without numbing and suppressing my pain without an anesthetics.
Namaste.
Jagdish P Dave
ME
me Apr 26, 2022
Thank you! Broken am I. But Someone, much Bigger than me entered into my broken place. Nothing/No one can enter a secured space. A brake is just what I needed for completion.🌱
JA
Jai Jan 15, 2023
A practical sermon for a equanimity life living .I had also faced hurdles of money ,jobs ,etc etc. There has been God given sermon at each stage to face the bad times . Buddha,s guidance and a line that : All is temporary in a temporary world and each material things had to change :: This line provides a solace and doing Meditation helps . Thnks
SH
Shobhana Jan 15, 2023
I asked myself what helps me ..... everything I feel makes me feel alive, makes me more aware ---and for me that ferls like a reward. Awareness makes me rich and everything that comes my way becomes a gift because at the bottom of it all lies the mystery of who am I and how did I come to be .....then everything else that happens to me takes on a temporary face ....