Via Dhamma Wheel | Right View: Understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering

 

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RIGHT VIEW Understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering When people have met with suffering and become victims of suffering, they come to me and ask me about the noble truth of suffering. Being asked, I explain to them the noble truth of suffering. (MN 77) What is suffering? (MN 9) Separation from the pleasant is suffering. Whoever has what is wanted, liked—pleasant sight-objects, sounds, smells, tastes, tangibles, or mind-objects—or whoever encounters well-wishers, wishers of good, of comfort, of security, such as mother or father or brother or sister or younger kinsmen or friends or colleagues or blood-relations, and then is deprived of such concourse, intercourse, connection, or union. (MN 9)

Reflection One of the most obvious and common forms of suffering is the pain we feel when separated from something or someone we care deeply about and are thus attached to. In fact, the mental pain of loss that comes from caring is one thing, while the emotional pain of the loss grows in direct proportion to how much attachment there is. It is possible to care deeply about something or someone without being attached.  Daily Practice Practice with easy things first, and work up to more challenging ones. See if you can feel equanimity instead of misery when you must separate from something like a favorite mug that breaks. Then see if you can apply that same approach to more serious matters, such as the breakup of a relationship or the loss of a dearly beloved person. Remember: Pain is inevitable, but how much suffering it causes depends on the level of attachment. Tomorrow: Cultivating Lovingkindness One week from today: Understanding the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering 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: Rebuilding Our Full Selves

 

Rebuilding Our Full Selves

Sometimes the way we find out how to voice a disowned aspect of ourselves is by listening to others who have not disowned it.  Dennis Genpo Merzel, “Introducing Big Mind”  CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

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Dickens-to-Go: Reflections on the Best of Times and the Worst of Times

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Mindfulness and Concentration: Establishing Mindfulness of Mental Objects and the Fourth Jhāna

 

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RIGHT MINDFULNESS Establishing Mindfulness of Mental Objects A person goes to the forest or to the root of a tree or to an empty place and sits down. Having crossed the legs, one sets the body erect. One establishes the presence of mindfulness. (MN 10) One is aware: “Ardent, fully aware, mindful, I am content.” (SN 47.10)   When the awakening factor of joy is internally present, one is aware: “Joy is present for me.” When joy is not present, one is aware: “Joy is not present for me.” When the arising of unarisen joy occurs, one is aware of that. And when the development and fulfillment of the arisen awakening factor of joy occurs, one is aware of that . . . One is just aware, just mindful: “There is a mental object.” And one abides not clinging to anything in the world. (MN 10)

Reflection Mindfulness practice is about looking very closely at the details of our experience. Every single moment something different is happening, and we train our mind to notice as much as we can, rather than running on automatic or making educated guesses. Here we are selecting one particular emotion, joy, and observing the dynamics of its arising and passing away and how it can be encouraged and developed with practice. Daily Practice Get in touch with the sensations that well up when you experience joy. To do this, call to mind something joyful and see how it feels. Remember: Joy is an emotion with mental as well as physical manifestations in experience. Then notice when these sensations are not present, when joy is absent. This is the kind of detailed investigation mindfulness practice entails. But remember not to cling to anything—just watch it pass through. RIGHT CONCENTRATION Approaching and Abiding in the Fourth Phase of Absorption (4th Jhāna) With the abandoning of pleasure and pain, and with the previous disappearance of joy and grief, one enters upon and abides in the fourth phase of absorption, which has neither-pain-nor-pleasure      and purity of mindfulness due to equanimity. The concentrated mind is thus purified, bright, unblemished, rid of imperfection, malleable, wieldy, steady, and attained to imperturbability. (MN 4) One practices: “I shall breathe in liberating the mind”;  one practices: “I shall breathe out liberating the mind.” This is how concentration through mindfulness of breathing is developed and cultivated       so that it is of great fruit and great benefit. (A 54.8) Tomorrow: Understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering  One week from today: Establishing Mindfulness of Body and Abiding in the First Jhāna Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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Via Ram Dass - Love Serve Remember Foundation // Words of Wisdom - August 6, 2023 💌

"The more I center myself and meditate, the more I hear how it all is. Even if I don't understand how it all is, the more I am how it all is. If there's an uneven place in me, all I have to do is work on myself. As I give up attachment to knowing how it all works, the actions come into harmony with the Tao."

- Ram Dass -

 

Via Daily Dharma: Consider Your Starting Point

Consider Your Starting Point

The Buddha takes dukkha as the starting place for the spiral to freedom. This is the condition that we find ourselves in. We find ourselves in the world in a state of dissatisfaction much of the time. We take that existential condition—the way that we find ourselves ordinarily in the world—and ask: what do we have to do to create freedom in our lives? John Peacock, “Tricycle Online Course: The Spiral to Freedom” CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE COURSE EXCERPT

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Challenges

EMAIL from a dear friend:

As you go through your healing, remember these words if they bring a smile or a bit of strength;

Fate whispers to the Warrior, 

"You can not withstand the storm".

The Warrior whispers back,

        "I AM THE STORM".

 

Thank you Doreen!

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Speech: Refraining from Frivolous Speech

 

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RIGHT SPEECH Refraining from Frivolous Speech Frivolous speech is unhealthy. Refraining from frivolous speech is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning frivolous speech, one refrains from frivolous speech. One speaks at the right time, speaks only what is fact, and speaks about what is good. One speaks what is worthy of being overheard, words that are reasonable, moderate, and beneficial. (DN 1) One practices thus: “Others may speak frivolously, but I shall abstain from frivolous speech.” (MN 8) An authentic person is one who, even when asked, does not reveal their own praiseworthy qualities—still less so when not asked. When asked, however, and obliged to reply to questions, one speaks of their own praiseworthy qualities hesitatingly and not in detail. (AN 4.73)

Reflection This passage describes a situation of humility, not dissembling. It is right speech because it does not unnecessarily embellish your own story by exaggerating your good qualities, which can be considered a form of frivolous or unnecessary speech. Notice that it is still important to tell the truth, so if asked directly it is okay to be accurate in noting your own virtues, as long as you do it with an attitude of humility. Daily Practice Pay attention to the speech patterns of the people you encounter and notice just how much of what they say involves praising themselves either overtly or indirectly. It is remarkable how much of our speech is given to this project. Now turn your gaze on your own words and see to what degree you are doing this yourself. Try removing self-praise from your language for a while and see how difficult it is to do. Tomorrow: Reflecting upon Social Action One week from today: Refraining from False 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: Staying on the Path

 

Staying on the Path

As we walk the path, let us not look up so much at the destination, high above in the mist, but carefully place one foot in front of the other.  Andrew Olendzki, “A Tough But Not Impossible Act to Follow” CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

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