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.
Saturday, November 9, 2024
Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Effort: Abandoning Arisen Unhealthy States
Whatever a person frequently
thinks about and ponders, that will become the inclination of their
mind. If one frequently thinks about and ponders unhealthy states, one
has abandoned healthy states to cultivate unhealthy states, and then
one’s mind inclines to unhealthy states. (MN 19)
Reflection
Too many people
feel like a helpless victim of their own habits of mind. It may seem
inevitable that you get angry or feel hurt or criticize yourself or
others: these are automatic responses conditioned by repeated behavior
in the past. But you have the ability to change what happens going
forward. Abandon unhealthy mental and emotional states that arise; let
go of them and turn your mind in healthier directions.
Daily Practice
Practice being
aware of unhealthy states as they arise and make their presence known in
your experience. If you are angry, feel that anger. If you are hurt,
fully feel that hurt. But then let the feeling pass through your mind by
not holding on to it. If you don’t welcome the anger or hurt, or resent
it and try to push it away, it will fade of its own accord. Letting go
of unhelpful things allows impermanence to work in your favor.
Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Feeling and Abiding in the Second Jhāna One week from today: Developing Unarisen Healthy Sates
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