Cattāri Brahmavihārā

Posted by: Michael | 05/28/2014

Enemies

For som time now I have considered myself as someone with no real enemies to speak of but as I work with the brahmaviharas and try to bring more heedfulness to bear on my life I see that this simply isn’t true. Yes, I may not have a vendetta against anyone and there is no one to whom I genuinely wish harm but I have aversion and ill-will towards any number of people at any time. And, although I may not spend day after day thinking about my enemies and plotting revenge I yet feel the heaviness in my heart and my vision is darkened by it nonetheless. So, it only makes sense to work specifically with those beings towards whom I have animosity to try to release the bonds of aversion which are surely made up of strands of delusion and have no ultimate existence outside of my own perception.

So, how to proceed. Currently I am working on a few different techniques to soften the heart while getting to the root of the aversion. I will post more later on the subject if it seems like a line to follow. In the interim, Happy Uposatha!

Imagining Compassion

One of the techniques that I have lately found to be incredibly powerful and which I first encountered in teachings from Dr. Jeffrey Hopkins is that of imagining horrifying and hellish situations with a view to generating compassion for all beings in the scenario. Hopkins uses some descriptions of the various punishments to be found in the narakas (Hell Realms) as described in the Scriptures and how imagining oneself or another undergoing these infernal tortures helps to immediately activate a strong feeling of compassion.

For myself, I have often had difficulty connecting with the heart but this techfnique immediately clears away the doubts and cobwebs and clearly shows that I do have the wish to alleviate others’ suffering. Incidentally, we are also asked to imagine ourselves as the subject of the punishments and to generate compassion not only for ourselves but for the Hell wardens as well. I am intrigued and inspired but have as yet been able to do the latter.

Anyway, this type of practice has lead me to reexamine, once more, the role of imagination in our spitiual development. Clearly, without a well-formed faculty of fantasy it would be hard for such techniques to have their full effect. Fortunately for me, I grew up on a diet of sci-fi and high fantasy and have always had an interest in the Hell realms of all religions.

It may seem to be a little over the top and I certainly can’t see this type of practice being recommended for all but it has completey renewed and re-invigorated my approach. Sabbe satt sabba dukkha pamuccantu!

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Formal Meditation, Karuna, Theravada | Tags: compassion, Hell, horror, karuna, tortue

Posted by: Michael | 05/26/2014

A Meaningful Prayer

When I lived in Thailand, I noticed that there was something in common between the Buddhist monks and the Christian missionaries in their use of a particular word. The Thai Buddhists often discussed the importance of making adhitthan, which is the Thai version of the Pali word adhitthana. In Theravadin Buddhism, adhitthana means a conscious determined intention to practise with effort and dedication. Thai Christians used this very same word – adhitthan – when they talked about prayer.

Ven. Ajahn Munindo

This morning, while making my usual rounds of the Buddhist websites I visit, I stumbled across a piece written by Ven. Ajahn Munindo which I had read long ago but for which my mind seemed to have be an especially primed to receive today. In it, he speaks to the nature of Buddhist prayer as being one of making inward resolves and asseverations rather than petitions to an other. I find that it sums up quite nicely my own approach to the practice of the brahmaviharas and inspires me to further explore and deepen this style of practice. I hope you will have a chance to read the full article here: http://nanda.online-dhamma.net/lib/authors/munindo/Unexpected_Freeodm/English/12.htm Sukhi hotu!

Avero Homi – May I be free from inner and outer enmity

During one of today’s sessions I was finding it hard to feel into metta and karuna for others so, rather than attempt to force myself into care and compassion, I decided to turn the light of the brahmaviharas back on myself. I began by using the traditional, Pali phrases for the brahmaviharas and did a round on my 36 bead mala reciting “May I be happy (Aham sukhito homi).” Next I moved onto the phrase “Avero homi” which I have usually understood as “May I be free from aversion” or, alternately, “May I be free from enmity.”

Now, I am sure I have discussed some of the various problems I have encountered due to the different possible interpretation of the phrases and this one in particular but I have never yet found a satisfying middle ground. Today, for the first time, I feel that I stumbled on to a connection that may have been pretty apparent to everyone on the planet except for me and which is simply this: the “Avero homi” phrase speaks both to inner and outer manifestations of aversion. I stumbled upon this understanding by simply repeating alternative versions like so: “May I be free of anger and enmity.” Of course, now that I write it, the phrase simply fails to convey the shock that rocked my heart when I realized that one cannot have outer enemies without having aversion in own’s own mind.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Metta, Theravada | Tags: Avero, brahmaviharas

Posted by: Michael | 05/23/2014

Parting in Anger

This morning I parted from my wife in anger and it has colored my day. To be fair, my anger could easily be justified and my words were not outrageous or particularly cutting. Nonetheless I have been left heir to my own decision to allow anger to overtake me and ruin my peace of mind. May I gain in wisdom and see, once and for all, that no good will come to me as a result of surrendering to anger, regardless of how right or just it may be.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Daily Practice, Dhamma, Dukkha, Parenting | Tags: anger, family, marriage, resentment, suffering

Posted by: Michael | 05/22/2014

Goodness is Greater

142. The king asked: “Venerable Nagasena, which is greater, good or bad?”
“Good is greater, Sire; bad is only small.”
“In what way?”
“Sire, someone acting badly is remorseful, saying: ‘An evil deed was done by me,’ and thus evil does not increase. But someone doing good is not remorseful. Because of freedom from remorse, gladness arises, from gladness comes joy, because of joy the body is tranquil, with tranquil body one is happy, and the mind of one who is happy is concentrated. One who is concentrated sees things as they really are, and in this way good increases.”

Milindapanha 84

Sickness

In thee last two days I have been sick in a way that I don’t believe I have been since I was a kid. Unable to sleep and writhing in pain Monday night I then spent almost all of Tuesday sleeping in fits and starts. The whole experience was frightening in its suddeness and intensity but it was a great opportunity for me to reflect on the inevitability of sickness and the fragility of health. We truly never know which sickness, cold, ache or fever may be the end of us so let us make haste to gain what wisdom we can in this life.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Theravada | Tags: byadhidhammomhi, practice, sickness

Posted by: Michael | 05/19/2014

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Theravada, Tisarana | Tags: Buddha, LOrd Buddha, sammasambuddhassa

Posted by: Michael | 05/17/2014

Disappointment and Forgiveness

It seems that I go in cycles of building up my expectations of myself and then letting myself down by not being able to live up to my deals at all times. There is perhaps no area of my life where this is more evident or painful than in my practice of the Dhamma and I have, once again, let myself down. No. No precept was broken. No people or animals were actually harmed in the making of this kamma except for myself by my own hand. By my own mind.

Fortunately, over the years I have become well enough acquainted with the phenomenon to realize that what I needed to do was sit down and meditate on forgiveness for myself which is precisely hat I did. Feeling into the pain of disappointment and the tenderness in my heart that I am deserving of compassion and not punishment. After I finished my round of self-forgiveness my mind immediately turned to my son and the thoughts of my disappointment watching him play not quite as well as I thought he should ave this morning at soccer. I realized that I was treating him simply as an extension of myself and despite my best attempts not to let on I am sure he knew.

It is clear that compassion and wisdom need to be brought to bear on this tendency of mine to hold such high standards for myself and those I view as extensions of my ego lest I cause more suffering to all involved. Easily said but not so easily done.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dukkha, Forgiveness, Karuna, Parenting, Theravada | Tags: anger, Clinics and Practices, forgiveness, health, Medical Specialties, Medicine, Pain management, resentment

Posted by: Michael | 05/16/2014

Just Suffering

I have become increasingly aware of the subtle dukkha that pervades every aspect of life. It has been interesting for me to note that this baseline unsatisfactoriness is not something alien to conditioned existence but part and parcel of it. And yet it feels at times as if I am responsible for it and that I am somehow being ungrateful by not meeting every moment with joy and appreciation. So, where is the middle ground here? How does one see the dukkha without wallowing in it? Not having the wisdom to see and understand the best I can do now is bring awareness to the tension and try not to cause more suffering around it.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Dukkha, Theravada | Tags: delusion, Dukkha, wisdom