Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Living: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings

 

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RIGHT LIVING Undertaking the Commitment to Abstain from Harming Living Beings       Harming living beings is unhealthy. Refraining from harming living beings is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning the harming of living beings, one abstains from harming living beings; with rod and weapon laid aside, gentle and kindly, one abides compassionate to all living beings. (M 41) One practices thus: “Others may harm living beings, but I will abstain from the harming of living beings." (MN 8) This is something that leads to the welfare and happiness of a person in this present life: accomplishment in initiative. Here, whatever may be the means by which a layperson earns their living—whether by farming, trade, government service, or some other craft—one is skillful and diligent. One possesses sound judgment about it in order to carry out and arrange it properly. (AN 8.54)

Reflection Many of the Buddha’s followers were members of the merchant class, and much of what he teaches is suitable for those who are earning a living in society at the same time as trying to follow his guidance. The practical advice here is that it is good to be "skillful and diligent," whatever your trade or mode of livelihood. Sound judgment is a valuable quality to have and leads you naturally to a respect for life that abandons all harming. Daily Practice Mindfulness is a form of skillfulness. When you do what you do—whatever it is—with full attention, this contributes to its skillful accomplishment. Try approaching your means of earning a living as a craftsman might approach their craft, with focus, sound judgment, and full awareness. Notice in the text that this applies to managerial work as much as to farming, and there is no modern pursuit that will not benefit from a mindful approach.  Tomorrow: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States One week from today: Abstaining from Taking What is Not Given Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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Via Daily Dharma: The Meaning of Intensity

 Intense times call for intense practice. But intensity does not mean straining or pushing; rather, it is a willingness to begin fresh.

Bonnie Myotai Treace, “Rising to the Challenge: Filling the Well with Snow”

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Disneyland’s first-ever Pride Nite was one of the best nights I’ve ever had in the park

Column: SFGATE’s Olivia Harden visits Disneyland on its inaugural Pride Nite and takes in how Disney is appealing to the evolving American family

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Action: Reflecting upon Bodily Action

 

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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) When you are doing an action with the body, reflect upon that same bodily action thus: “Does this action I am doing with the body lead to both my own affliction and the affliction of another?” If, upon reflection, you know that it does, then stop doing it; if you know that it does not, then continue. (MN 61)

Reflection Mindfulness of the body involves being fully conscious of your bodily sensations as they occur in the present moment. Reflecting upon bodily action, as described here, has to do with being sensitive to the ethical quality of your actions, which requires tuning in not only to what you are doing but also to how your current activities affect yourself and others. If they pass review, then carry on; if not, it is time to alter your behavior. Daily Practice Be aware of the implications of your actions. Notice the patterns of cause and effect generated by what you do, particularly in regard to whether they are causing harm or not. If you realize you are doing something that is not good for you or something that is hurtful to others in some way, simply stop doing it. It is good to pause in mid-stride from time to time, to check on the ethical quality of your actions. Tomorrow: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings One week from today: Reflecting upon Verbal Action Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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Via Daily Dharma: Being Your Practice

If your practice is breathing, be one with breathing! If your practice is shikantaza, or just sitting, then just sit! If your practice is koan, be the koan! 

Maezumi Roshi, “Appreciate Your Life”

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Via White Crane Institute // In 2020 - The Supreme Court ruled that a landmark civil rights law protects LGBT people from discrimination in employment, a resounding victory for LGBT rights from a conservative court

 

Noteworthy

2020 -

The Supreme Court ruled that a landmark civil rights law protects LGBT people from discrimination in employment, a resounding victory for LGBT rights from a conservative court. The court decided by a 6-3 vote that a key provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 known as Title VII that bars job discrimination because of sex, among other reasons, encompasses bias against LGBT workers.

The cases were the court’s first on LGBT rights since Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement and replacement by Kavanaugh. Kennedy was a voice for gay rights and the author of the landmark ruling in 2015 that made same-sex marriage legal throughout the United States. Kavanaugh generally is regarded as more conservative.

The Trump administration had changed course from the Obama administration, which supported LGBT workers in their discrimination claims under Title VII. During the Obama years, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission had changed its longstanding interpretation of civil rights law to include discrimination against LGBT people. The law prohibits discrimination because of sex, but had no specific protection for sexual orientation or gender identity.

In recent years, some lower courts have held that discrimination against LGBT people is a subset of sex discrimination, and thus prohibited by the federal law. Efforts by Congress to change the law had failed.

The Supreme Court cases involved two gay men and a transgender woman who sued for employment discrimination after they lost their jobs.

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Gay Wisdom for Daily Living from White Crane Institute

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Via Facebook// Thuben Kway

 

TSOKNYI RINPOCHE

How does one know the difference between really progressing in meditation practice, and just looking like it from the outside?

First of all, when one’s being is liberated from within through this practice, one knows it personally. That atmosphere or feeling also seeps out in a way and is felt by others.

One of the qualities of recognising emptiness is that the thought “I” or “me” has no longer any basis, and thus it dissolves. There is no self-identity present. Through recognising and realising the empty essence, instead of being selfish and self-centered, one feels very open and free. It feels like everything is possible; one could just go anywhere; it is all okay. One is not really fixated or tied down.

In short, the bottom line during the meditation state is whether or not your delusion falls to pieces. By letting be in wisdom, the string of thought which ties confusion together is suddenly no longer tying anything together, and it naturally falls apart. When there is no pursuit of past thought and no inviting of future thought, that gap means that the whole delusory process vanishes.

The effect of that — the afterglow, you could say — shows itself in the post-meditation. In daily life one has much less craving and compulsion to chase after things. One is much more content and at ease, and possesses much more devotion, appreciation, and compassion. That is how it shows itself outwardly.

This is actually a good question, because we need to take care that there is real progress in our practice. Every so often, we may have to look back and assess: “What has happened with me? Is there any improvement in my personality, in my character? Am I more or less attached to things? Do I have more or less craving, more or less aggression? Am I more or less dull than before? In which direction am I really going? Am I improving or not improving?”

We may think, “Now I have been meditating for five years…ten years…fifteen years. But what has really happened? Can I discern any real improvement when I compare how I used to be with how I am now?” It’s very good to scrutinise yourself that way, to check and see if there is any progress.

It may sound a little strange to say this, but when one practices in a place where there is no external support for dharma practice — a place where people don’t necessarily respect and praise the fact that you are a spiritual practitioner — maybe it is more possible to be a really genuine practitioner. In fact, maybe it is much easier. Who knows? Conversely, in a place where there is a lot of support for practice, there may be plenty of people who are not really practicing genuinely.

We should be concerned with these questions: Am I really practicing in a genuine way? Am I really progressing? We need to check ourselves, again and again. As we practice more and more, the basic guideline is: Are our disturbing emotions diminishing? Is wisdom developing and increasing? Yes or no? We should examine ourselves honestly in this way.

(Adapted from Carefree Dignity)

Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation // Words of Wisdom - June 14, 2023 💌

"It's the expectations of your own mind that creates your own hell. When you get frustrated because something isn't the way you thought it would be, examine the way you thought, not just the thing that frustrates you. You'll see that a lot of your emotional suffering is created by your models of how you think the universe should be and your inability to allow it to be as it is." 

- Ram Dass -

 

 

THE RITZ (1976) Clip - Treat Williams and Rita Moreno

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Speech: Refraining from False Speech

 

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RIGHT SPEECH Refraining from False Speech False speech is unhealthy. Refraining from false speech is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning false speech, one dwells refraining from false speech, a truth-speaker, one to be relied on, trustworthy, dependable, not a deceiver of the world. One does not in full awareness speak falsehood for one’s own ends or for another’s ends or for some trifling worldly end. (DN 1) One practices thus: “Others may speak falsely, but I shall abstain from false speech.”  (MN 8) When one knows covert speech to be true and correct but unbeneficial, one should try not to utter it. (MN 139)

Reflection The main thing to look at when deciding if it is appropriate to speak or not is whether what you are saying is likely to be beneficial. Yes, it is important to speak the truth, but even when something is true it may not always be helpful to say it. By beneficial what is meant is, will it help a person move away from what is unhealthy and point them toward what is healthy? If so, then by all means speak up; if not, try to keep silent. Daily Practice Be careful what you whisper to others, making sure it is not a subtle form of false speech. Even if what you are saying is true, the fact that it is spoken in secret or covertly suggests there may be something about it unsuited to the light of day. Better to speak only what can be said openly whenever possible. Just ask yourself as you are about to speak: Is this helpful? Will this contribute in a beneficial way? Tomorrow: Reflecting upon Bodily Action One week from today: Refraining from Malicious Speech Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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Via Daily Dharma: Experience Life Directly

 If you don’t try to translate an experience into words, you simply have the experience, not thoughts, sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touch—they can all be experienced directly without words.

Bhante Henepola Gunaratana, “Do Thoughts Ever Stop?”

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