A personal blog by a graying (mostly Anglo with light African-American roots) gay left leaning liberal progressive married college-educated Buddhist Baha'i BBC/NPR-listening Professor Emeritus now following the Dharma in Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Monday, June 5, 2023
Via Dhamma Wheel | Right View: Understanding the Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering
RIGHT VIEW Understanding the Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering
And what is the way leading
to the cessation of suffering? It is just this noble eightfold path:
that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right
living, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. (MN 9)
One perfects their ethical behavior by abandoning misbehavior among sensual pleasures . . . (DN 2)
Reflection
This is by now a
familiar theme for us, the focus on refining ethical behavior and
abandoning actions driven by sensual pleasures. The path to the
cessation of suffering can be followed only by observing the ethical
precepts, and the precept guarding against inappropriate sexuality is as
important as the others. Remember: sensuality can include a much wider
range of interpretations than the merely sexual.
Daily Practice
Reflect
honestly on your own behavior, especially the extent to which it may or
may not be entangled in sensual desire. Sensuality is a sensitive and
challenging topic, and it often seems there is an extra charge around
matters of sexuality. This text is inviting you to look openly at ways
leading to the end of suffering and in particular to look for ways in
which a different perspective on sensuality might help reduce some kinds
of suffering.
Tomorrow: Cultivating Equanimity One week from today: Understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering
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