Cattāri Brahmavihārā

I recently wrote about my intention to make the most of the month my family is away by devoting myself to a more rigorous practice regimen. As part of this commitment to practice I am also looking to increase my participation with local sanghas and Dharma centers both as a means of keeping my ardor up and in order to break down my attachment to my views.

You see, something I have noticed of late and by which I have been dismayed (so much for bare awareness huh) is my propensity to take on a pedantic and condescending tone when speaking to others about the Dhamma especially as it compares to Vedic and New Age systems of thinking. I have all too often taken a similar stance with regard to traditions and lineages of Buddhism that are not “my own.” As a result, I am making the aditthana that one of the goals of my month long Dhamma intensive is to breakdown my attachment to views as much as possible while visiting and practicing with others as much as time allows. My thought is that the best way for me to do so is not so much through trying to focibly break an attachment as one would snap a limb from a tree but to become part of the tradition in some way and by seeing its humanity and truth becoming less inclined to judge it so harshly.

More later but for now it’s time to work…