Via Daily Dharma: Taking the Risk of Living

 

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Taking the Risk of Living  It’s easy to identify with all the places we’ve been hurt and abandoned, but can we identify with the timeless wholeness that weathers every condition? If we can’t, we may spend this life protecting ourselves and never risk really living. Bonnie Myotai Treace, Sensei, “The Sword Disappears in the Water” CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

What’s in a Word? Buddha By Andrew Olendzki Shedding light on the history and context behind the Enlightened One.  Read now »

Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Effort: Restraining Unarisen Unhealthy States

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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 to 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 doubt. (MN 141)

Reflection The fifth of the five hindrances is doubt. This is not the healthy skepticism that encourages us to think for ourselves and not take anything on hearsay. It is the debilitating doubt wherein we are unsure of ourselves and unclear about whether the practice we are doing is well taught or we are practicing it correctly. These sorts of doubts hinder our progress and are better replaced by their opposite, trust and confidence. Daily Practice See if you can give some attention to the quality of mind that presents itself when you are doubtful about something and, alternatively, when you are trusting of something. The point is not so much whether the doubt or trust is justified or not, or right or wrong, but rather the effect such attitudes have on the workings of consciousness. Self-doubt in particular undermines the mind, while confidence promotes energy. Tomorrow: Establishing Mindfulness of Body and Abiding in the First Jhāna One week from today: Abandoning Arisen Unhealthy States 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: Growth Is in the Little Things

 

 

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Growth Is in the Little Things

Every wholesome thought, every pure intention, every effort to train the mind represents a potential for growth along the noble eightfold path. Bhikkhu Bodhi, “Vision and Routine” CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right Living: Abstaining from Harming Living Beings

 

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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 for all living beings. (M 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 meat. (AN 5.177)

Reflection Vegetarianism is an important issue in contemporary Buddhist discussion. The Buddha was famously not a vegetarian, although he spoke of the importance of not harming living beings. His perspective was that as beggars, the monks and nuns had to accept all offerings put in their bowls without making distinctions between what they liked or didn't like, or between what they thought was rightly or wrongly procured.  Daily Practice Whether or not you are a practicing vegetarian, the matter raised here is about the livelihood of a layperson. Trading in meat was singled out as an inappropriate profession because it involves the killing of living beings every day in great numbers. This is just not a healthy thing to be doing. Give the matter some attention today and reflect upon how much harm or lack of harm results from what you do for a living. 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.

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Via Daily Dharma: Peaceful Abandon

 

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Peaceful Abandon  Try turning off the radio, the phone, the computer, and the TV; sit comfortably in a quiet place, relaxing the body and mind; mindfully breathe in, mindfully breathe out, and abandon—just for now—any thought or response that tends to disperse and divide your awareness. Andrew Olendzki, “Busy Signal” CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

On ‘Music for Zen Meditation’ By Stephan Kunze On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Tony Scott’s groundbreaking spiritual jazz album, Tricycle looks back at Zen’s enduring influence on modern music. Read now » My Buddha Is Punk Directed by Andreas Hartmann In this film, twenty-five-year-old Burmese punk musician Kyaw Kyaw is on a mission to travel through Myanmar playing music and organizing demonstrations to raise awareness about the persecution of the country’s ethnic minorities. Subscribers can stream the film on Tricycle’s Film Club all month long. Watch now »