Vernon marks solemn anniversary of opioid emergency declaration

If we do not get to the root of the problem, all the detox centres on the planet will not work. More treatment beds and other short-term strategies will not solve the real issues. Clearly, we should work on all fronts to help others, but why not have a deeper discussion of the way things actually are?
"Our children should not have died", whether it is on black balloons, traffic intersections posters, suicide march banners, wars in Europe murals, high school shooting t-shirts, or the many other dream like experiences we all know - are not easy words to grasp. But where is the deeper reflection of our existence?   

At The Emily Dahl Foundation we love this quote by Nisargadatta Maharaj. This is such a great reminder of how beautiful life can be if you live by these principals: 

Many live with the false concept or belief that their problems are all that matter.  We often think about our own problems, our life, our wants, our needs, our stuff, etc. We are very busy trying to get things to be the way we want them. the way we think they should be. We are always a victim and that something is going to happen to me.  Everything that happens in life that doesn't fit within our set of personal preferences is a problem. Therefore, we have lots of problems. So, one of the frequently used phrases is “why does this always happen to me?" 

This focus on the notion of an individual being is deeply flawed. 

We need to change our attitudes and beliefs and realize that most, if not all, of our suffering is caused by our own self-importance and misguided sense of what life is all about. Introspection into the true nature of your existence is the one true practise that will get you there and it is called - Self Inquiry. 


Begin the practice of self-inquiry, and you will be able to see the truth in each situation and how your attitude about it could change everything. Slowly, we have the opportunity to get down off our high horse and began to live more humbly. This is the deeper message that Emily Dahl herself has left us to consider, after she took the remarkable step of abandoning her physical form. 

Another powerful quote is from Rick Warren’s book “The Purpose Driven Life” which says: “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, it’s thinking of yourself less”. 

The goal should be to find real solutions to the problem of negative emotions, which is what is leading to all kinds of suffering. 
 
When considering the opioid crisis and suffering in general, why not discuss the question of happiness and a stress-free life?  Every being that experiences pleasure or pain has a desire to be happy. There are many different levels of happiness because animals, including birds, insects and fish, do not have the brains that we have. Their lives are entirely directed towards sensory experience. It’s what their survival depends on, which is why some animals have much sharper senses than we humans do. 
 
We, on the other hand, have sophisticated language and thought, but that in itself doesn’t prevent our brains from sometimes creating trouble. Having too much expectation about the future or getting lost in musing about the past can bring us stress and anxiety. 
 
Why not focus on the fact our basic human nature is compassionate and warm-hearted because that’s the way our lives begin. Without love and affection, we would not have survived. Therefore, we need to combine our natural intelligence with warm-heartedness. Warm-heartedness brings inner strength and self-confidence, it enables us to be honest and truthful, so our conduct is transparent, which attracts trust and friendship.
 
Our survival and our future depend on other human beings, who are our source of happiness. If we smile at a tree it doesn’t respond. But if we smile at another human being, she or he generally smiles in return. Without showing a warm-hearted concern for others we can’t be happy.
 
We all have a marvellous, brilliant brain, yet we are not using it properly at times. If this brain is driven by anger, competition, and jealousy, it can be overcome by fear and anxiety. Dominated by self-centredness, we lack moral principles and a far-sighted approach. However, when we combine our intelligent brain with warm-heartedness, we respect others’ rights, sincerely wish them to be happy and never make trouble for them.
 
When emotions cloud our minds, we are unable to use our intelligence, are unable to think straight and can’t apprehend reality. To do that our minds must be calm, clear, and unbiased. We need to look at whatever we’re dealing with from different angles to get a fuller picture. If we can do this, we’ll be happier and face less stress. 
 
The goal should be to help others tackle emotions. Feelings of negativity one has when they are angry are 90% mental projection. So, something we can do is try to tackle our disturbing emotions, develop warm-heartedness, and achieve peace of mind. Then we can share our experience with other human beings.  

Meditate quietly on all this and ask one question deeply - "Who Am I?".  

At The Emily Dahl Foundation we cannot encourage this practise enough and deeply hope we can dial down the fervour around the need for detox centers and naloxone kits. In the end, all we can say about that can be expressed in another famous quote: 

"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing". 
  
The Emily Dahl Foundation
Friday, July 15 ,2022