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.
Glimpsing
nonself clearly, even for one moment, puts ordinary truth in
perspective. When the conventional picture returns, we regard it
differently. What a relief when we no longer have to take our “selves”
so seriously!
RIGHT LIVING Undertaking the Commitment to Abstain from Taking What is Not Given
Taking what is not given is
unhealthy. Refraining from taking what is not given is healthy. (MN 9)
Abandoning the taking of what is not given, one abstains from taking
what is not given; one does not take by way of theft the wealth and
property of others. (MN 41) One practices thus: “Others may take what is
not given, but I will abstain from taking what is not given." (MN 8)
One is to practice thus: “Here, regarding things sensed by you, in the
sensed there will be just the sensed." When, firmly mindful, one senses a
sensation, one is not inflamed by lust for sensations; one experiences
the sensation with a dispassionate mind and does not remain holding it
tightly. (SN 35.95)
Reflection
The phrase “what is seen, heard, and sensed” is a shorthand way of referring to the first five of the senses, so the word sensed
refers to the sense modalities of smelling, tasting, and touching. It
can be challenging to simply be with what is given in direct experience,
since we are so easily swept beyond what is given to add layers of
judgment and interpretation. Right living involves remaining grounded in
experience.
Daily Practice
When you smell,
taste, or touch an object of any kind at any moment, see if you can
focus just on the sensation, not allowing thoughts to take over and run
rampant. Such proliferation is a way of “taking what is not given,”
insofar as you are going beyond the information provided by the senses
in the immediate experience and turning it into something different.
Practice simply being with what is present—no more, no less.
Tomorrow: Abandoning Arisen Unhealthy States One week from today: Abstaining from Misbehaving Among Sensual Pleasures
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Paying
attention provides the gift of noticing and the gift of connecting. It
provides the gift of seeing a little bit of ourselves in others, and of
realizing that we’re not so awfully alone.
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 verbal action is to be done with repeated reflection. (MN 61)
When you are doing an action with speech, reflect upon that same verbal action thus: “Does this action I am doing with speech lead to 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
Much of the speech we utter just comes out, without a lot of forethought. This is the kind of speech that often gets us in trouble or causes harm to others. If we miss the opportunity to reflect on what we are going to say before we say it, we have another chance to notice what we are saying as we are saying it. Take advantage of this and pay attention to what you are saying. Listen to yourself as you speak to others.
Daily Practice
Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of what you are doing in the present moment, and this can apply to speech as well as bodily and mental action. By becoming aware of what you are saying as you are saying it, you are able to access the ability to reflect on whether it is causing harm to others or yourself. If you find you are saying anything hurtful, just stop. Find another way of saying what you have to say.
Tomorrow: Abstaining from Taking What is Not Given One week from today: Reflecting upon Mental Action
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The Buddha called conscientious or moral shame a “bright guardian of the world,” since it has the capacity to soothe bruised honor and give rise to beneficial action.