Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Effort: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States

 

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RIGHT EFFORT Restraining Unarisen 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) Here a person rouses the will, makes an effort, stirs up energy, exerts the mind, and strives to restrain the arising of unarisen unhealthy mental states. One restrains the arising of the unarisen hindrance of ill will. (MN 141)

Reflection The encouragement to make an effort to restrain unhealthy mental states that have not yet arisen in the mind is not a call to suppress or censure yourself. You are not being asked to stick a finger in the dike and hold back the onslaught of the unconscious mind. Rather it is a call to be skillful in how to hold yourself in this present moment, for this moment conditions what will come up next. Daily Practice The mental quality of ill will includes such emotions as hatred or annoyance and can take the form of anger or fear. The practice described here involves understanding under what conditions these states arise and making an effort to instead encourage the conditions that will not welcome their arising. If you feel kindness, hatred will not arise; with equanimity, you will not get annoyed; if you trust, fear will not assail you. Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Body and Abiding in the First Jhāna One week from today: Abandoning Arisen Unhealthy States 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 Neighborhood of Your Mind

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The Neighborhood of Your Mind The mind is indeed a strange neighborhood—not a bad neighborhood but a neighborhood that is constantly changing. It is charming but dangerous, quiet, and endless in its variations. Elizabeth Napp, “Mindfulness and the Bad Class” CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Carving the Divine Directed by Yujiro Seki The 1400-year-old Buddhist wood-carving tradition is wrought with artistry, intention, and dedication. This film from director Yujiro Seki illustrates the detailed craft through the eyes of the masters who are keeping it alive. Watch now »

 

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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 with compassion toward all living beings. (MN 41) One practices thus: "Others may harm living beings, but I will abstain from the harming of living beings." (MN 8) A person reflects thus: "I am one who wishes to live, who does not wish to die. If someone were to take my life, that would not be pleasing and agreeable to me. Now if I were to take the life of another, that would not be pleasing and agreeable to the other either. How can I inflict upon another what is displeasing and disagreeable to me?" Having reflected thus, one abstains from the destruction of life, exhorts others to abstain from it, and speaks in praise of abstinence from it. (SN 55.7)

Reflection This is one way of stating the Golden Rule found the world over: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." It requires that we consider the feelings of another to be as important as our own. Once this insight is well understood, it becomes a matter of following your own nature rather than following a rule. You become incapable of cruelty or selfish exploitation. Daily Practice The practice of non-harming (Sanskrit: ahimsa) consists first and foremost of caring for others to the extent that we cannot consciously want to harm them. But notice that this teaching goes farther, also encouraging us to speak openly about the value of abstaining from causing harm. The challenge is to do this with a mind of lovingkindness. How can we condemn the causing of harm without wishing harm to those who cause it?  Tomorrow: Maintaining Arisen Healthy States One week from today: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings 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 Source of Love Is Within

 

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The Source of Love Is Within

When we use our attention to touch and open the deeper truth in a person, we not only catalyze the experience of love, we become love. The source of love is revealed to be within us; we no longer have to go looking for it somewhere outside.

Nicole Daedone, “Love Becomes Her”

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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 on that same bodily action thus: "Does this action I am doing with the body lead to my own affliction?" If, on reflection, you know that it does, then stop doing it; if you know that it does not, then continue. (MN 61)

Reflection Here we have a plain appeal for continuous mindfulness of the body. It is not a practice only for the meditation hall or focused only on breathing but is a habit of conscious living, of conscious awareness of how the body is disposed and moves. When doing something, know that you are doing it. Do one thing at a time. You might say, "Anything worth doing is worth doing deliberately." Daily Practice Every single thing we do can be done with greater awareness. We are so accustomed to allowing our behavior to be guided by unconscious habit so the mind can be wrapped up in something else. But this deprives us of the opportunity to guide our actions ethically. As you become consciously aware of what you do unconsciously, notice that you can intervene when necessary and tell yourself to stop any action that is unethical. 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: Each Unique Moment

 

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Each Unique Moment  Meditation teaches us the value of every moment’s unique experience. You have never taken in this particular lungful of air before and will never do so again. This particular step, with its lifting, moving, and placing phases, is absolutely special—when you choose to attend to it carefully with your awareness.  Andrew Olendzki, “This Moment Is Unique”  CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

The Collective Dimension of Happiness With Cuong Lu Is happiness overrated? Zen scholar and teacher Cuong Lu encourages us to consider this question and introduces the idea of the collective dimension of happiness, inviting us to remain curious about our attachment to happiness. Watch now »