Cattāri Brahmavihārā

Posted by: Michael | 01/22/2021

Sparring

As is almost always the case, all of the grand thoughts and ideas that accompanied the first cups of coffee and followed upon my morning sit have flown and I’m left trying to figure out what I was thinking (quite literally). A recent theme of late, that I can see developed to a degree in the quote above, is that patiently enduring whatever arises and realizing that it is arising due to kamma.

For example, last night as I was looking for parking, I began to despair at about the hour mark. I would occasionally see someone pulling into a spot ahead of me and I would feel a brief flash of injustice: why wasn’t I getting the space? In retrospect it is obvious how silly such thoughts are but, at the time, there was nothing silly about it. Luckily I was able to reflect on the fact that this was both my kamma and that I should be happy for this person who is experiencing parking dukkha just like me.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Daily Practice, Dhamma, Dukkha, Stoicism, Theravada | Tags: compassion, Marcus Aurelius, parking, patience, suffering

Posted by: Michael | 01/18/2021

Skillful Thinking

What is this fear when I know I have done nothing wrong? If this what is meant by gaslighting? The feeling of dread that accompanies the thought of my wife returning, knowing she’ll be full of anger, disdain and resentment.

I know, somewhere, that it doesn’t have to effect me. I know that the true cause isn’t me and yet I have spent large parts of the day cleaning and organizing the house to avoid her wrath. It’s a sad state of affairs and I believe I need to refuse to give in to these feelings of anxiety and fearfulness any longer.

I have done what needed to be done and now I have to accept whatever happens with as much equanimity as possible. This is meditation: to learn to think skillfully with fear and anger. To find the best way to deal with and learn from it. And, soon enough, once I have put my mind in order I can turn to cultivating compassion for her once more.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Daily Practice, Dhamma, Family Life, Karuna, samma sankappo, Theravada | Tags: skillful, Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Posted by: Michael | 01/18/2021

Matali on Facebook

I got into a discussion with a friend tonight about something she posted on Facebook. The meme said “If sometimes makes you happy, make them happier,” a sentiment with which I think we can all agree. However, she prefaced it with a commitment that, despite your best efforts some people refuse to be happy.

There’s a lot going on here but my point and opinion is that we should nourish ourselves on the fruits of our own kindness, generosity and equanimity regardless of how or whether they are received by another party.

Her response was that to do so, with the knowledge that the receiver will act in bad faith, only encourages them do continue to do so. In other words, we are encouraging them to take advantage of us.

For some reason, as I write this, I am reminded of the Vepacitti Sutta and it seems like the position of my friend is the one advocated by Matali. I will end tonight’s post with this excerpt:

[Matali:] This very forbearance of yours, Sakka, I see as a mistake. For when a fool reckons like this: “From fear of me he does forbear,” The dolt will come on stronger still — Like a bull the more that one flees.

[Sakka:] Let him think whatever he likes: “From fear of me he edoes forbear.” Among ideals and highest goods None better than patience is found. For surely he who, being strong, Forbears the ones who are more weak — Forever enduring the weak — That is called the highest patience.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddha Vacana, Buddhism, Dhamma, Forgiveness, Khanti, Metta, Theravada | Tags: matali, sakka, Vepacitti sutta

Posted by: Michael | 01/16/2021

Aeschylus Teaches Mudita

I have been really struck by how close many of the Ancient Greek philosophers seem to have been to the Dhamma. I can’t decide if this is due to hitherto unacknowledged division of Buddhist ideas into the Mediterranean or simply that bits of the Dhamma are everywhere but it takes a sammasambuddha to put it all together into a path and create a sasana. Whatever the case may be, it’s always refreshing to see great thinkers praising mudita.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Mudita, Theravada | Tags: Aeschylus, envy, joy

Posted by: Michael | 01/13/2021

Pursuing the Dhamma

I am still working on memorizing the Dhammapada and this was the verse for the day two days ago. I am uncertain that I can convey why it struck me but it did. Perhaps it is due to its uncompromising message: if you want to overcome Mara, you can’t do so by going easy on yourself. In fact, you have to be disciplined and energetic if you hope to make any progress at all.

Interestingly enough, today is an Uposatha day and I can think of no better verse for it. So, rather than giving myself a “break” and giving in to the urge to indulge the senses, I need to gather my forces and make an effort to overcome my defilements.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddha Vacana, Buddhism, Dhamma, samma vayamo, Theravada | Tags: effort, Mara, sense pleasure, viriya

Posted by: Michael | 01/10/2021

Empires

Empires rise and fall, but the mind remains. That’s got to be your perspective. Because the mind remains not only through the death of the body but through many, many cycles of the Universe. So you’ve got to get it into good shape, because otherwise it’s going to take you to weird places, undesirable places.

The Most Important Thing to Be Doing

I have been thinking a lot about this teaching lately. With American society being as delicate as it is and human civilization seemingly on the brink of a major shift hit could I not? And, trust, we got some writing test results back for our youngest. There is no solid ground anywhere and it is good to recollect that daily.

Given the incredible fragility of our situation what is more important than dana, silā and bhavana? Nothing and yet I spend 23 hours of every day pretending as if that weren’t the case. If I want to truly prepare myself for the worst and be able to skillfully ride out the storms that are bound to come then I must do the real work.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Daily Practice, Dana, Dhamma, Family Life, Parenting, Theravada | Tags: empires, rebirth, Thanissaro Bhikkhu

Posted by: Michael | 01/07/2021

Embroiled

The quote above is incredibly valuable because it provides Right View in a chaotic and confusing world that befuddles my mind and pulled me down into the muck. As much as I try to stay out of these things, I keep falling for the siren’s call of righteousness and defending the vulnerable. But, as we lay dying, what will it have mattered?

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Posted in Buddhism, Dhamma, Taṇhā, Theravada | Tags: justice, politics, wisdom

Posted by: Michael | 01/06/2021

Willing to Be In Pain

At a meditation retreat I attended a few years ago, one of the venerables leading the retreat shared an idea that had proven to be incredibly valuable to me: when experiencing pain, you have to be willing to allow it to endure forever if it must. In other words, you need to give up all bargaining and recrimination and just let it be what it is. If you can do so, you will soon find that the pain isn’t a monolith that is uniform and unchanging but that it is a constantly pulsating energy, vibrating and moving according to its own rhythms. Maybe it disappears after a time and maybe it doesn’t but, and this is where words fail, you discover that all of the pains and suffering you have been running from and rationalizing were never quite what you had imagined them to be.

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Posted in Buddhism, Dhamma, Dukkha, Formal Meditation, Sangha, Theravada | Tags: Pain, retreat

Posted by: Michael | 01/05/2021

Forgiveness

Much like on this blog, I post things which I find are good Dhamma to me on FB and IG. The above is one of my recent posts. And, interestingly enough, this post, like many others, has inspired one of my friends to take issue with it in a post of her own in an indirect way.

I am noticing more and more that our current culture seems to encourage weakness of character. If a teaching admonishes us to forgive, people are sick to say say that they’re being shamed for not being ready to do so. If a teaching counsels us not to give in to depression, it is criticized for not taking mental health seriously enough and shaming the depressed for not putting forth enough effort.

Initially I was sympathetic and slowly that turned to annoyance. Now I realize that I need to cultivate equanimity and compassion for people who really do believe they are victims of fate and too weak to surmount their issues.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Forgiveness, Islam, Karuna, Theravada | Tags: suffering, weakness

Posted by: Michael | 01/02/2021

Hunt for the Skillful

“So be the sort of person who’s always hunting for something skillful to do, because this lifetime is so short. If you spend your time just being depressed or discouraged, you waste so many opportunities for doing good. There’s so much good that needs to be done in the world. Starting from little things, like keeping your surroundings clean and neat, and working on up: It’s all worthwhile. There are so many ways you can gladden the mind.”

~ Thanissaro Bhikkhu

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Posted in Buddha, Buddha Vacana, Buddhism, Dhamma, Gratitude, Theravada | Tags: skillful, Thanissaro Bhikkhu