Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Speech: Refraining from Malicious Speech

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RIGHT SPEECH Refraining from Malicious Speech Malicious speech is unhealthy. Refraining from malicious speech is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning malicious speech, one refrains from malicious speech. One does not repeat there what one has heard here to the detriment of these, or repeat here what one has heard there to the detriment of those. One unites those who are divided, is a promoter of friendships, and speaks words that promote concord. (DN 1) One practices thus: “Others may speak maliciously, but I shall abstain from malicious speech.” (MN 8) Disputes occur when a person is deceitful and fraudulent. Such a person dwells disrespectful and undeferential towards others, causing harm and unhappiness for many. If you see any such root of a dispute either in yourself or externally, you should strive to abandon it. And if you do not see any such root of dispute either in yourself or externally, you should practice in such a way that it does not erupt in the future. (MN 104)

Reflection Arguments and disputes do not come from external circumstances, but from the internal qualities of people’s minds. When there is a competing interest, for example, it might be negotiated peacefully and fairly, or it might escalate into a hateful argument and even become violent. The difference lies in what kind of internal mental and emotional states are brought to the table by both participants. We can influence how this unfolds.  Daily Practice Take special care to refrain from being deceitful or fraudulent in all of your dealings with other people. And when other people are exhibiting these qualities, try hard not to be provoked into doing the same. These practices in daily life require a regular habit of being tuned in to the workings of your own mind and being sensitive to the extent your own experience is impacted by the mental and emotional qualities of others. Tomorrow: Reflecting upon Verbal Action One week from today: Refraining from Harsh 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: Seeing Beyond the Surface

 

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Seeing Beyond the Surface When you take care of things, see with the eyes of the heart, even if sometimes it means seeing beyond the surface. Paula Arai, “Healing Glistens on Carefully Washed Windows” CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

Via Them // Trump’s VP Pick J.D. Vance Is an Anti-LGBTQ+ Nightmare

 

Politics

Trump’s VP Pick J.D. Vance Is an Anti-LGBTQ+ Nightmare

The Ohio senator vocally supports anti-trans policies and opposed a law codifying marriage equality.

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Via Ram Dass Words of Wisdom - July 17, 2024 💌

 

I will work on myself, since the work on myself is going to be the highest thing I can do for it all, since I understand that as we up-level our own consciousness, we see more creative solutions to the problems that we're confronting. - Ram Dass

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Intention: Cultivating Compassion

 

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RIGHT INTENTION Cultivating Compassion Whatever you intend, whatever you plan, and whatever you have a tendency toward, that will become the basis upon which your mind is established. (SN 12.40) Develop meditation on compassion, for when you develop meditation on compassion, any cruelty will be abandoned. (MN 62) The near enemy of compassion is ordinary sorrow. (Vm 9.99)

Reflection Just as physical pleasure and pain are natural and inevitable aspects of human experience, the same is true of mental pleasure and pain. Sorrow can be seen as a form of mental pain, and it is natural to feel such pain, for example, with the death of a loved one. Compassion is also accompanied by sorrow, but it is not ordinary sorrow; it is a higher sorrow, raised beyond the personal to the level of a universal emotion. Daily Practice Allow yourself to open to the suffering of another person; there is plenty of opportunity for this these days. See if you can discern a difference between feeling sorry for them and feeling sorrow on account of their pain. See if you can feel the difference between a personal sorrow and a universal sorrow. Practice opening to the suffering of others on this broader, more universal level of experience and meaning. Tomorrow: Refraining from Malicious Speech One week from today: Cultivating Appreciative Joy Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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Resting in Spiritual Consciousness Whether I’m engaging with my grandson or whether I’m going to the supermarket and talking to the person checking out my groceries, I try to be in a place of spiritual consciousness all the time. Charles Johnson, “I Must Change My Life”  CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

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

 

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RIGHT VIEW Understanding the Noble Truth of the Origin of Suffering What is the origin of suffering? It is craving, which brings renewal of being, is accompanied by delight and lust, and delights in this and that; that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for being, and craving for non-being. (MN 9) When one does not know and see perception as it actually is, then one is attached to perception. When one is attached, one becomes infatuated, and one’s craving increases. One’s bodily and mental troubles increase, and one experiences bodily and mental suffering. (MN 149)

Reflection Perception is the mental process by which we interpret incoming sensory information and create meaning from it. Perception uses the cognitive faculties of the mind to  weave words and concepts into explanations and stories that help define the world we inhabit and our place in it. The problem is that we often take these stories to be more real than they are, at which point they can become sources of attachment. Daily Practice Learn to hold your perceptions lightly. Perception is a useful tool and can be used by wisdom to disengage us from suffering. But as with any tool, if we mishandle it we can cause harm to ourselves and others. Practice reminding yourself that your perceptions are only creating a map of the world that may or may not depict the terrain accurately. When our stories give rise to craving, they are doing more harm than good. Tomorrow: Cultivating Compassion One week from today: Understanding the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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