RIGHT INTENTION
Cultivating Appreciative Joy
|
Whatever you intend,
whatever you plan, and whatever you have a tendency towards, that will
become the basis upon which your mind is established. (SN 12.40) Develop
meditation on appreciative joy, for when you develop meditation on
appreciative joy, any discontent will be abandoned. (MN 62)
Appreciative joy is the way to purity for one who has much discontent. (Vm 9.108)
|
|
|
|
Entangled as we
are in a consumer economy that depends on the cultivation of desire and
discontent, it can be hard to simply take joy in what we already have
and feel joy in the good circumstances of others. Yet this can be
practiced as an antidote to always feeling desire for one thing or
another. Cultivate appreciative joy, or gladness for the happiness of
others, at every opportunity and feel its cleansing and shielding
effects.
|
|
|
Discontent can
be subtle and insidious. It can poison us slowly in small but steady
doses, or erupt in episodes of jealously and resentment. By paying
careful attention to the details of your experience, notice the next
time you feel bad in some way about what others have or get. Now
recognize that as a form of discontent and counter it with appreciative
joy, deliberately taking pleasure in the good fortune of another person.
|
|
Tomorrow: Refraining from Harsh Speech
One week from today: Cultivating Equanimity
Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media
#DhammaWheel
Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.
No comments:
Post a Comment