Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Action: Reflecting upon Social Action

 

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RIGHT ACTION Reflecting Upon Social 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 social action is to be done with repeated reflection. (MN 61) A person is content with any clothing they may get, speaks in praise of such contentment, and does not try to obtain these things in improper or unsuitable ways. Not getting these things, one does not worry, and getting them one makes use of them without being greedy, obsessed, or infatuated, observing such potential dangers and wisely aware of how to escape them. (AN 4.28)

Reflection Just as we practiced cultivating contentment in regard to food last month, today we are invited to work with our relationship to clothing. Discontent is a persistent cause of social discord, and contentment contributes to people getting along with one another. If we envy what other people have or yearn for something we don’t have, the seeds of unhappiness are sown and watered. Such suffering is unnecessary. Daily Practice We are not being asked here to have disdain for fashion, or taste, and it is not suggested that what we wear does not matter at all. As with so many other aspects of our lives, we are being invited here to examine the relationship we have with ordinary things such as the clothing we wear. It is healthy and helpful to focus more on what we have than on what we want and to avoid the pitfalls of becoming greedy, obsessed, or infatuated. Tomorrow: Abstaining from Intoxication One week from today: Reflecting upon Bodily Action Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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