Via Plum Village // Dharma for Your Day: Meditation Is Not a Luxury

 

 

“I have arrived, I am home is your practice to survive. It's not a luxury. If you cannot be yourself, if you do not know how to handle the fear, the anger, the despair in you, you are lost. You cannot help any other people. You cannot help your country."   In this powerful short teaching video, Thich Nhat Hanh teaches us that our mindfulness practice is not a luxury, but a necessity for us to have peace as a global society. Calling on us to connect to our common sense of humanity, Thay shares inspiring examples from his personal life to illustrate how to draw from our spiritual ground to save lives, including in the face of legal and cultural barriers (20 mins).

Via LGBTQ Nation // New study shows the surprising reason gay men excel at school more than straight men

 

New study shows the surprising reason gay men excel at school more than straight men

 

 

 

The Book of Queer | Official Trailer | discovery+

Via Daily Dharma: Opening the Hand

 By opening the hand, we let go of whatever was in its grip, and refrain from grasping something new. With time, meditation practice makes it easier to choose what to focus on, let go of, linger with, indulge in, turn away from, enhance, or reiterate.

Jill Satterfield, “Mindfulness at Knifepoint”

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Action: Reflecting upon Verbal Action

 

RIGHT ACTION
Reflecting Upon Verbal Action

However the seed is planted, in that way the fruit is gathered. Good things come from doing good deeds, bad things come from doing bad deeds. (SN 11.10) What is the purpose of a mirror? For the purpose of reflection. So too verbal action is to be done with repeated reflection. (MN 61) When you wish to do an action with speech, reflect upon that same verbal action thus: "Would this action I wish to do with speech lead to the affliction of another?" If, upon reflection, you know that it would, then do not do it; if you know that it would not, then proceed. (MN 61)

Reflection

Often a conversation is like a chess game, in which it is beneficial to be able to think a few moves ahead. Are you just expressing what is on your mind, or do you want to have the other person hear you so you can have an impact on what they are thinking? Considering the impact your words have on others is a skill that can be learned, and it increases the effectiveness of your speech. It is good to be aware of what you are saying.

Daily Practice

Try slowing down your speech pattern and taking that extra moment to pause and check in on your emotional and mental state before you respond. With what quality of mind will you speak the next words: annoyance? agitation? benevolence? equanimity? Normal speech patterns are often very rapid, not giving us much time for reflection, but being more reflective is an extremely valuable practice.

Tomorrow: Abstaining from Taking What is Not Given
One week from today: Reflecting upon Mental Action

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Via ADAM and ANDY