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.
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 wish to do an action with the body, reflect on that same bodily action thus: "Would this action I wish to do with the body lead to my own affliction?" If, on reflection, you know that it would, then do not do it. If you know that it would not, then proceed. (MN 61)
Reflection
The word for action is kamma in Pali, karma in Sanskrit, and the quality of our actions is a matter of great concern in the Buddhist tradition. We act with the body, speech, and mind, and each of these will be considered in turn. The teaching here is partly to learn how to pay close attention to what we are doing and partly to notice the ethical consequences of our actions.
Daily Practice
To reflect on our actions is to bring conscious awareness to them. Most of what we do is done unconsciously, so the practice is to become conscious of what we are doing instead of doing it automatically. Start here with intention. Pay careful attention to the process of making simple choices, such as moving your hand or not, and see if you can catch when intention arises. Also note the ethical quality of your choices: Is a choice healthy or unhealthy?
Tomorrow: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings One week from today: Reflecting upon Verbal Action
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So many factors demand our attention; isn’t it awesome that we have at least some influence over what we choose to focus on? And if there is power in acknowledging and being thankful for even small blessings, the power of finding meaning in the face of suffering can be transformative.
False speech is unhealthy. Refraining from false speech is healthy. (MN 9) Abandoning false speech, one dwells refraining from false speech, a truth-speaker, one to be relied on, trustworthy, dependable, not a deceiver of the world. One does not in full awareness speak falsehood for one’s own ends or for another’s ends or for some trifling worldly end. (DN 1) One practices thus: "Others may speak falsely, but I shall abstain from false speech." (MN 8)
Such speech as you know to be untrue, incorrect, and unbeneficial, as well as unwelcome and disagreeable to others—do not utter such speech. (MN 58)
Reflection
Integrity is held to be of great value in Buddhist traditions, and speaking truthfully at all times is an important practice in itself. Notice how it is phrased as a naturally healthy thing to do. Notice also how it is about changing your own behavior rather than trying to change others. We refrain from false speech by noticing whenever the impulse to be untruthful arises and simply abandoning it. Just do not say what is untrue and unbeneficial.
Daily Practice
Working with right speech can be one of the most challenging practices. The closer you observe, the more you can notice subtle impulses to exaggerate, omit, or lead astray when speaking. When you are speaking, bring an extra measure of attentiveness to the moment just before you utter the words. The gap between impulse and speech can be widened gradually with practice, allowing for more conscious communication.
Tomorrow: Reflecting upon Bodily Action One week from today: Refraining from Malicious Speech
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