When life presents fearsome obstacles, be your own spiritual ally and turn those obstacles into windows that open to the depths of the heart.  There, cultivating loving-kindness, compassion, radiant joy and the wisdom of discernment, behold the fierce gifts of the Dhamma that defy delusion and rescue us from the mire of every perceived burden. A talk given during a 10 day Ottawa Buddhist Society retreat at the Sisters of St. Joseph convent in Pembroke, Ontario, Canada in 2009.