Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Intention: Cultivating Appreciative Joy

 

TRICYCLE      COURSE CATALOG      SUPPORT      DONATE

RIGHT INTENTION Cultivating Appreciative Joy Whatever you intend, whatever you plan, and whatever you have a tendency toward, that will become the basis on which your mind is established. (SN 12.40) Develop meditation on appreciative joy, for when you develop meditation on appreciative joy, any discontent will be abandoned. (MN 62)  Suppose there were a pond with lovely smooth banks, filled with pure water that was clear and cool. A person scorched and exhausted by hot weather, weary, parched, and thirsty, would come upon the pond and quench their thirst and their hot-weather fever. In just the same way a person encounters the teachings of the Buddha and develops appreciative joy, and thereby gains internal peace. (MN 40)

Reflection When lovingkindness encounters the good fortune and happiness of another, it transforms into appreciative joy. This is the emotion of feeling good for another person, of being glad that good things are happening for them. Appreciative joy arises easily for the people we care about, but so often its opposite—some form of jealousy, envy, or resentment—comes up for us. The antidote for these forms of discontent is learning how to feel good for others, which generally takes a lot of practice. Daily Practice Try reminding yourself on a regular basis that the world is ruled by impersonal laws of cause and effect, also known as karma. Sometimes good things happen, sometimes bad things, and we often have little control over these things. Why not feel happy for other people when they experience good fortune or reap the rewards of their hard work? Like a cool drink on a hot day, feeling happy is more beneficial than feeling bad.  Tomorrow: Refraining from Harsh Speech One week from today: Cultivating Equanimity Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Tricycle is a nonprofit and relies on your support to keep its wheels turning. Donate »

© 2024 Tricycle Foundation 89 5th Ave, New York, NY 10003

Via Daily Dharma: Dharma Is Here and Now

 

Support Tricycle with a donation »

Dharma Is Here and Now

Hear every sound as the sound of the dharma. See every sight as the sight of the dharma. Experience every place as nirvana. This very cushion upon which you sit is the lotus land.

Gerry Shishin Wick, “The Five Ranks and Dogen’s “Genjokoan”  

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

Via FB

 

Via GBF // "Being a Warrior of Compassion" with Dale Borglum

Today's dharma talk is now available on YouTube:

Being a Warrior of Compassion - Dale Borglum 2024-12-08

The term warrior typically implies aggression. So what does it mean to be a "Warrior of Compassion?"

In this insightful talk, Dale Borglum introduces the concept of the bodhisattva, or "warrior of compassion," emphasizing the transformative potential of emotions like grief and anger when approached with mindfulness and an open heart. He explores how Buddhist teachings provide tools for navigating emotions and fostering compassion amidst societal and personal challenges.  Dale contrasts empathy, which is simply feeling another's pain, with compassion, which involves an open-hearted connection to suffering that can inspire action—or sometimes inaction—based on wisdom.

Dale underscores the importance of embodying compassion both for others and for oneself, suggesting that self-compassion is a vital precursor to true altruism. He explains three qualities of compassion—connectedness, spaciousness, and warmth—and encourages staying present with discomfort rather than avoiding it. Through mindfulness and Vajrayana techniques, Dale demonstrates how suffering can become a pathway to awakening, connecting deeply with others, and cultivating a heart spacious enough to hold even the most challenging emotions and experiences.

______________

You can also find it on our website:

Being a Warrior of Compassion – Dale Borglum

--
Enjoy 850+ free recorded dharma talks at https://gaybuddhist.org/podcast/

Via FB

 

Via FB

 

Via FB

 

Via FB

 

Via FB

 

Via FB

 

Via FB

 

Via FB

 

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

 

TRICYCLE      COURSE CATALOG      SUPPORT      DONATE

RIGHT VIEW Understanding the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering What is the cessation of suffering? It is the remainderless fading away and ceasing, the giving up, relinquishing, letting go, and rejecting of craving. (MN 9) When one knows and sees visual forms as they actually are, then one is not attached to visual forms. When one abides unattached, one is not infatuated, and one’s craving is abandoned. One’s bodily and mental troubles are abandoned, and one experiences bodily and mental well-being. (MN 149)

Reflection The third noble truth declares that once suffering has been identified (the first noble truth) and its origin has been discovered (the second noble truth), it is possible to bring that suffering to an end. This is the great promise of the Buddhist path: that any time we are experiencing suffering, we can reverse or neutralize it with insight and practices that loosen the specific craving that causes the particular instance of suffering. Daily Practice Let's begin with focusing on the sphere of visual experience. So many of the things we see give rise to impulses of attachment, infatuation, and craving. When we want what we see, that visual object becomes the trigger for a brief episode of suffering. Notice, however, that this impulse to crave what we see need not have irresistible power over us. Practice noting the craving, then letting go of it. Notice the ensuing sense of well-being.  Tomorrow: Cultivating Appreciative Joy One week from today: Understanding the Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering Share your thoughts and join the conversation on social media #DhammaWheel Questions? Visit the Dhamma Wheel orientation page.

Tricycle is a nonprofit and relies on your support to keep its wheels turning. Donate »

© 2024 Tricycle Foundation 89 5th Ave, New York, NY 10003

Via Daily Dharma: Surrender to Impermanence

 

Support Tricycle with a donation »

Surrender to Impermanence

When we surrender the idea that we are a permanent “self,” when we surrender the idea of “I, me, mine,” we—suddenly—merge ourselves with the cosmic eternal buddha and experience awakening. Mark Herrick, “Nichiren Buddhism and the Precepts” CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE

Via FB

 

Via FB

 

Via FB

 

Via FB

 

Via FB