Revoked

Saturday, January 25, 2025

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Effort: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States

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 toward 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 sluggishness. (MN 141)

Reflection

Sluggishness, also sometimes called sloth and torpor, is one of the five hindrances that prevent the mind from becoming tranquil and alert. Like any natural system, the mind operates best within a certain range, and its effectiveness drops off when there is too much or too little energy. Here we are being encouraged to take what steps we can, such as rest and nutrition, to ensure that the mind is working optimally.

Daily Practice

Explore in your own experience the distinction between tranquility and sluggishness. The mind can get sleepy or lazy or dull, but this is very different from the calm tranquility of a peaceful mind. To be relaxed, you must also be alert. When you start to feel sluggish, take a deep breath or open your eyes wide or do something to stir up energy. Then put that energy to work, paradoxically toward calming the mind.

Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Body and the First Jhāna
One week from today: Abandoning Arisen Unhealthy States

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Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

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Via Daily Dharma: Resting on Your Breath

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Resting on Your Breath

It’s creative to arrange your attention in a different way than we do habitually. Imagine just resting on your breath. That sounds insane to a lot of people—maybe impossible, maybe attractive. People usually like it. They may even have a few moments of respite and tremendous gratitude.

Anne C. Klein, “Ritual as an Opening to Love”

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A Satisfying State of Happiness
By Gil Fronsdal

Tranquility is both a gift of meditation practice and a support for deepening the practice.

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Via Daily Dharma: Failure Is Natural

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Failure Is Natural

Do not fear failure. Whatever happened in the past is past; do not worry about it happening again. Before you meet with success, failure is natural and necessary. As a baby learns to walk, it keeps falling down. Is this failure?

Master Sheng Yen, “Being Natural”

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Three Methods for Letting Go of Thoughts
By Haemin Sunim

Are you bombarded by thoughts when you sit down to meditate? Zen monk Haemin Sunim offers three helpful ways to work with our monkey mind.

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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 layperson is not to engage in the livelihood of trading in weapons. (AN 5.177)

Reflection

Everyone has to earn a living somehow, and all human activities involve some form of harm to others. The Buddha encouraged his followers to abstain from certain trades that do the most harm, including involvement with weapons of warfare. He did not condemn them as morally wrong but pointed out that the harm caused by weapons rebounds on the worker and has a cumulative unhealthy effect on the mind.

Daily Practice

Think about what you do professionally and reflect on how much harm to other beings is intrinsic to the job. If there are ways to mitigate this harm, try to implement changes in how things are done. If you are engaged in a job that is fundamentally harmful, such as making or deploying weapons that are used to kill, then it would contribute to your welfare to look for another line of work.

Tomorrow: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States
One week from today: Abstaining from Taking What is Not Given

Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media
#DhammaWheel

Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.