Via Daily Dharma: Present and Attentive

 

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Present and Attentive It is hard to be generous, disciplined, or patient if we are not fully present. If we are present and attentive, and our mind is flexible, we are more receptive to the environment around us. Judy Lief, “On the Contagious Power of Presence” CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

The Elephant in the Dharma Hall By John Peacock Author John Peacock discusses why for too many, Buddhist practice is a retreat into a quietism that ignores the pressing social and political realities of our time. Political discussion, in the author’s view, must find its way into the Dharma Hall and be made integral to our everyday practice. Read more » Resilience, Recovery, Repair An Event Series with May We Gather and Tricycle February 22, 2024 Sign up to join the final session in this series with May We Gather exploring the history of Asian American Buddhist resilience alongside racial karma with an expert lineup of community elders and leaders, acclaimed historians, archaeologists, educators, and spiritual teachers. Sign up » Follow Us Forward today's wisdom to a friend »

Via Daily Dharma: Between Action and Reaction

 

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Between Action and Reaction By widening the gap between action and reaction, you can gain some distance from your automatic responses and also gain an opportunity to know your emotions. You can stop being ruled by these emotions and instead begin to rule your experience of life. Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche, “The Power of the Third Moment” CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

On Sounding Good and Being Right By James Shaheen Tricycle’s editor-in-chief, James Shaheen, reflects on the Pure Land idea of bombu, or foolish nature, and how that permeates every endeavor we take. He concludes that rather than letting our limitations get in our way, we can acknowledge that they are there and still move forward. Read more »

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Effort: Developing Unarisen Healthy States

 

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RIGHT EFFORT Developing Unarisen Healthy States Whatever a person frequently thinks about and ponders, that will become the inclination of their mind. If one frequently thinks about and ponders healthy states, one has abandoned unhealthy states to cultivate the healthy state, and then one’s mind inclines to healthy states. (MN 19) Here a person rouses the will, makes an effort, stirs up energy, exerts the mind, and strives to develop the arising of unarisen healthy mental states. One develops the unarisen energy awakening factor. (MN 141)

Reflection The mental and emotional states that are healthy, leading away from suffering and toward greater clarity of understanding, do not always arise on their own and sometimes need a little help. In the sequence of awakening factors, investigation of states naturally gives rise to energy, because everything becomes so interesting, but the development of energy can also be instigated and encouraged as a deliberate practice.  Daily Practice Interesting how it is put in the text: that we need to stir up energy to develop energy. What this is pointing to is that sometimes we just have to reach down and decide that we will bring more energy to bear on a given situation. Perhaps it is blinking the eyes to overcome drowsiness or gritting the teeth boost our willpower to avoid a temptation. Energy is a factor that can be weak or strong. Here we practice strengthening it. Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Mind and the Third Jhāna One week from today: Maintaining Arisen Healthy 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: Facing Difficulties

 

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Facing Difficulties Do not become annoyed when faced with difficulties. To do so merely adds difficulty to difficulty and further disturbs your mind. By maintaining a mind of peace and nonopposition, difficulties will naturally fall away. Master Sheng-Yen, “Nonopposition” CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Where to Find Joy and How to Cultivate It By Christina Feldman and Jaya Rudgard Teachers Christina Feldman and Jaya Rudgard explain piti or joyfulness, one of the seven factors of awakening, and why it’s so important. Read more »

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Living: Abstaining from Misbehaving Among Sensual Pleasures

 

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RIGHT LIVING Undertaking the Commitment to Abstain from Misbehaving Among Sensual Pleasures Sensual misconduct is unhealthy. Refraining from sensual misconduct is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning sensual misconduct, one abstains from misbehaving among sensual pleasures. (MN 41) One practices thus: "Others may engage in sensual misconduct, but I will abstain from sensual misconduct." (MN 8) Sensual conduct is of two kinds: to be cultivated and not to be cultivated. Such sensual conduct as causes, in one who cultivates it, unhealthy states to increase and healthy states to diminish, such sensual conduct is not to be cultivated. But such sensual conduct as causes, in one who cultivates it, unhealthy states to diminish and healthy states to increase, such sensual conduct is to be cultivated. (MN 114)

Reflection Misbehaving among sensual pleasures can include various forms of harmful sexuality, such as exploitation, causing humiliation, or sexual predation. It can also include all sorts of activities that are not sexual but involve sensual gratification. Our ability to inhabit a sensory and sensual world is not in itself a problem. The problem is that our senses can so easily lead us into attachments and aversions that cause difficulties. Daily Practice This practice is about the skillful use of the sense apparatus. Notice when sensory stimulation leads to craving and thus to grasping behavior. This is the path to suffering, as our senses lead us to wanting things we cannot have or hating things that are unpleasant. Notice also that there are ways to engage the senses that do not automatically lead to craving and grasping, and thus do not lead to suffering. Explore this. Tomorrow: Developing Unarisen Healthy States One week from today: Abstaining from Intoxication Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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