Cattāri Brahmavihārā

Posted by: Michael | 11/06/2013

Metta in Daily Life

I have been noticing a distinct sense of uneasiness, a perturbation of the mind and heart that happens immediately after encounters with people I know in the last day or so and, although I’m unsure if it has to do with the particular people or an internal struggle of which I am only dimly aware, it is what I am working with at present. So far the best strategy I have found is to calm the agitation by means of metta–the simple act of wishing the person well seems to ground me and calm the turmoil within.

As I brought goodwill to mind for the person who caused me to veer off into agitation this morning I began to notice others coming to mind as well. In short, the mind seemed to have scoouted ahead and identified all of the people with whom I would have problems throughout the course of the day as well as having located a few others to ruminate and brood upon for good measure. It seemed instantly like the right thing to do was extend good-will to them in turn and the results were good even if there were no choirs of angels.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Daily Practice, Dhamma, Metta, Theravada | Tags: brahma viharas, metta

Posted by: Michael | 11/05/2013

A Resolve

This morning while I was still relatively fresh I entertained the thought that, come what may, I should try an experiment where I keep to my practice commitments in terms of formal meditation for a month. In this way I imagined I might be able say in a definitive way if pushing myself this way was beneficial or if I should take a gentler approach. Obviously I am in a different headspace now than I was at 9:30 this morning and despite my initial negative reaction to the thought I am once more considering it.

What does this mean, exactly? Well, in short, I was able to do 10 minutes of walking meditation and roughly 20 minutes of anapanasati before my daughter burst through the bedroom door and crawled onto my lap. That leaves me with 15 minutes of anapanasati, 10 of silent illumination/shikantaza and at least 15 minutes of brahmavihara practice. That’s 40 minutes of meditation with a swimming head and a confused and clouded heart. So, now that I know the balance do I still think it’s a good idea? It may not be but, really, what else is this life for? And what will be lost should I fail? What could be gained if I succeed? What troubles me is the thought that I may sit but will allow myself to be overcome by sleepiness and decide after a few minutes to hang it up. Therefore, I may the resolve that, for tonight at least, I will not allow myself to sleep in the bed or on the floor with blankets or a pillow until I have sat for the remaining time. Crazy? Yes, a little I think but I’m interested in seeing how this plays out.

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Posted in Dhamma | Tags: aditthana, meditation, resolve

Posted by: Michael | 11/04/2013

Driving All Blames into One

Yesterday ended up being a disasterous failure in terms of the uposatha observances. I am inclined to run through a laundry list of reasons why this was so but as I have beenm pondering the mind training verses I have come to realize ever more poignantly that all that happens is a result of my failure to do the work of liberation. All of the other sufferings of my life are accidental to the prime cause: a failure to understand the four noble truths. Furthermore, allowing the quotidian sufferings to push me into creating causes for more of the same would be the height of folly but is something I have surely done innumerable times before stretching back to infinity.

May I take responsibility for my sufferings and strive ardently to free myself from bondage.

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Posted in Dhamma | Tags: Blame, cattari ariya saccani, Dukkha, Four Noble Truths, kamma

Posted by: Michael | 11/02/2013

Gratitude for the Difficult Ones

For the first time I was able to actually feel true gratitude someone who gave me the opportunity to practice restraint and patience. I can’t describe to you how earth-shaking it is to have realized that it is, in fact, possible to be grateful to the difficult beings in our lives. Hitherto I had always thought it was a nice but solely poetic notion that did way the bodhisattva mythos but was not possible to cultivate in daily life but the mind’s infinite mutability has surprised me once again.

I feel that, bit by bit, I am discovering the truths of many practices I had long discounted based solely on what I viewed (and, in many ways, continue to view) as mistaken or unfounded metaphysical assumptions. Still, it is like I have often said (and I think I am plagiarizing Ven. Ajahn Sumedho): I am orthodox in regard to doctrine but heteropraxic when it comes to means.

May we train our hearts to embrace all beings!

Gratitude (lorengasser.wordpress.com)
An Experiment in Gratitude (comfortablymodern.wordpress.com)
5 Simple Ways to Express Your Gratitude (business2community.com)

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Daily Practice, Dhamma, Gratitude, Karuna, Metta, Mudita, Theravada | Tags: Books, gratitude, Gratitude journal, Inspirational, New Age, philosophy, Religion and Spirituality, Shopping

Posted by: Michael | 11/01/2013

A Test Failed

Despite the title there really isn’t as much self-recrimination here as one might expect. Last night, walking the streets of the village with a gaggle of kids and their parents we happened to be chastised by a pair of Manhattanites for occupying space that they obviously assumed was theirs to use exclusively. The woman commanded us imperiously not to stand in the middle of the sidewalk as we waited for our children to return from the inside of a restaurant where they were retrieving candy. Sadly, my first impulse was to loudly retort how ridiculous it was that some people believed that this island of 2 million people belonged exclusively to them. Luckily, it ended there and neither the woman nor her partner replied.

Why am I disturbed? Precisely because my first reaction was base and untrained and rooted in aversion. What does it tell me? That I have been right in redoubling my efforts to train in the brahmaviharas and that I yet have much work. I failed the test but at least I know that I am on the right track.

May we strive diligently to quell the flames of hatred and aversion!

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Formal Meditation, Karuna, Metta, Mudita, Parenting, Practice at Work, Theravada | Tags: aversion, brahmavihara, hatred, metta, strive

Posted by: Michael | 10/31/2013

As If in a Dream

One of the aphorisms or slogans of mind training is to regard all appearances as if they were a dream or illusory. This is not the first time I have encountered these instructions but until now I have always been resistant to the idea. It just struck me as somehow dishonest and disingenuous to view reality in this way; it now seems that I may have misunderstood.

As I made my way through Union Square station it became abundantly clear to me that most of what I was seeing was as a caricature of the people and forms before. All that I perceived and judged was seen through the cracked and grimy lens of my delusion meaning that I was seeing a third-rate illusion of reality. Reminding myself of this I was able to prevent myself from getting so caught up with it in a way that I have yet been able to accomplish with other methods. A woman’s attractive shape or a young man’s loathesome attire are equally illusory in that they are over-exposed and unduly magnified by greed, hatred and delusion.

What a miraculous thing this mind. May we all practice the path to liberation.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Daily Practice, Dhamma, Parenting, Practice at Work, Theravada | Tags: delusion, greed, hatred, illusion, mind training

Posted by: Michael | 10/30/2013

Receptivity

I have been reading material on mind training again due to my conviction that living a cramped life of aversion and resentment is far removed from the Dhamma and have been struck by the insistence of the instructions on turning the difficulties of life into learning opportunities. So, I have been working with this as I wend my way through Brooklyn and have constantly turned my attention back to what I can do in this moment to take advantage of it and use it to train the heart.

Seeing an elderly or infirm person is easy and compassion wells up easily but I am stuck somewhat when I see a young, well-dressed and apparently prideful person strutting like a peacock down the street. In the moment I drown in aversion and judgement and it is only now that I realize that I should welcome it as an opportunity to practice forebearance and equanimity. There is simply no reason to do otherwise but it is incredible how quickly I forget.

May we escape the shackles of greed, anger and delusion!

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Daily Practice, Dhamma, Dukkha, Gratitude, Karuna, Metta, Mudita, Theravada | Tags: compassion, lojong, mind training

Posted by: Michael | 10/29/2013

Resisting One’s Goodness

Possibly one of the hardest practices that I attempt to undertake on a regular basis is that of recollecting my own goodness. Almost immediately my thoughts turn to all of the reasons why there is n.othing good about the things I have done or simply that my aspirations are impure. But, if I am able to put the doubt to the side each time it arises then I am able to feel the joy and brightness which is precisely what I need right now.

Call it exhaustion or just the ebb and flow of life but I feel like I’m beginning to hit a wall. What this should signal is that I need to make a switch back to a practice that is lighter and more uplifting and eschew rigid ideas of what I shouuld be doing. Over the years I have become familiar with the pattern and it may be time that I actually learn from it.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Daily Practice, Dhamma, Gratitude, Karuna, Metta, Mudita, Parenting, Practice at Work, Theravada | Tags: brightness, joy, light

Posted by: Michael | 10/28/2013

The Meaning of a Wish

In the context of the Buddhadhamma, the idea of wishing for something or praying that it be so seems to me to be open for facile misinterpetation. Take, for example, AN IV 124, whre the Lord Buddha is describing the futility of simply wishing to develop the factors of the path as opposed to actually undertaking those practices which lead to their development and fruition. He goes as far as to say that one can still find release as long as a person develops these qualities even the complete absence of the wish that they be developed. So, where does this leave the idea of prayer and metta bhavana?

In effect, I believe we’re talking about two different things altogether. When I wish for someone to be free of suffering or to get the job they want it is not as if I truly be my wishing will suffice to make it so. Whether or not it has any impact on the world outside (although I must admit to believing it does) is not nearly as important as the way it trains my heart and mind. In the case of the sutta referenced above, the Lord seems to be speaking about the inefficacy of simply wishing for something whereas, in the latter, the act of wishing is the cause which conditions the heart. At least, that’s my provisional understanding of it at the moment.

May we all see clearly and strive on toward the goal.

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Posted in Buddha, Buddhism, Dhamma, Karuna, Metta, Mudita, Theravada | Tags: Anguttara Nikaya, LOrd Buddha, metta, prayer

Posted by: Michael | 10/27/2013

Happy Uposatha – Prayer

Happy uposatha to all! Over the course of the last few days I have been able to stay, more or less, with the intention to cultivate harmlessness and goodwill in my thought, speech and deed and have been able to enjoy the blessing of the practice today. Part of this may have to do with my decision to meet all beings with a heart of love and a constant return to the moment wherein I try to figure out what can be offered to provide comfort and ease for the being(s) before me. Imperfect though my practice has been it has certainly buoyed me in these times of work-related stress and other difficulties.

Interestingly enough, my fascination with the idea of praying for others’ well-being has only increased in strength and I have even downloaded and app (InstaPray) where people post their requests. Granted many of the prayers are people beseeching God or Jesus but you can connect to their suffering, their fears and their basic humanity which is more than enough to engender compassion and metta. I continue to search for other, non-denominational venues and have founded the following site which is dedicated to praying for animals: http://www.circleofcompassion.org/index.html. All of the above are great and I am happy just to be able to send what care and concern I can to beings in need.

Rakkhantu sabba devata! May the devas protect you!