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.
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Action: Reflecting upon Bodily 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 bodily
action is to be done with repeated reflection. (MN 61)
Reflection
The image of
planting seeds and harvesting their fruits is widespread throughout the
world. It is a simple model of cause and effect, and it lies at the
heart of the Buddhist understanding of karma. As embodied beings we are
always engaging with the world, and we are invited here to notice this
fact and engage with care. If we want good things to come our way, we
need to do good deeds to ensure that they do.
Daily Practice
Think of
meditation as similar to looking in a mirror, but instead of regarding
your external form you are observing the quality of your inner life.
When you act in certain ways, how does it make you feel? If you
regularly feel bad about what you do, then you are planting the wrong
seeds. Gradually learn to act in ways that will result in healthier and
more beneficial outcomes for yourself and others.
Tomorrow: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings One week from today: Reflecting upon Verbal Action
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