Sunday Meditation Group
March 19
-"The Moment"
You shouldn't chase after the past
or place expectations on the future.
What is past
is left behind.
The future
is as yet unreached.
Whatever quality is present
you clearly see right there,
right there.
Not taken in,
unshaken,
that's how you develop the heart.
Ardently doing
what should be done today,
for — who knows? — tomorrow
death.
There is no bargaining
with Mortality & his mighty horde.
Whoever lives thus ardently,
relentlessly
both day & night,
has truly had an auspicious day:
so says the Peaceful Sage.
(MN 131)
As the Buddha indicates, you have to make a wholehearted effort to put your attention on the present moment. You have to strive “ardently, relentlessly” to live in the present moment.
This is where happiness is found.
Every now and again, as you strive to reside in the present moment, you might want to guide yourself toward recognizing the happiness that’s found only in the moment. It’s another good strategy. As you ground yourself in your breath, you might ask:
Where is happiness found?
Can I find happiness in this moment?
As you incline to the happiness that exists potentially in every moment, you may begin to get intimations of that happiness. You may begin to detect it. The happiness that’s right there. The happiness that’s always there.
When I lodge myself in the present moment, I’m often at least slightly stunned to find happiness right there. Walking to my apartment on a hot summer night, recognizing my impatience, centering myself in my breath, shifting inward, into my body, into my heart, I find that happiness is right there.
When faced with disagreeable experience, you can still know happiness, the happiness inside, the happiness of the heart. You might suppose, when confronted with disagreeable experience, that all your human experience is disagreeable. You might believe that you don’t have any choice except to be unhappy. But it’s not so. Our existence is comprised of many different experiences. The world is wider than our view of it. When things like the weary body, like the weather, are disagreeable, you can still find an agreeable refuge in the breath. You can still find happiness. Happiness is there. If you look, you can find it.
As we move forward, we learn to appreciate the paradoxes of dharma practice. The practice requires extraordinary patience, wild patience. We’re asked to accept that the path unfolds gradually, slowly. At the same time, we’re asked to pay close, urgent attention to the present moment; we’re asked to find happiness right here, in the moment we’re in.
(from The Skill of Living)
When Death Comes (Mary Oliver)
When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn;
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse
to buy me, and snaps the purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle-pox
when death comes
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,
I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering:
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?
And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,
and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,
and each name a comfortable music in the mouth,
tending, as all music does, toward silence,
and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.
When it's over, I want to say all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it's over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,
or full of argument.
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.
-"The Moment"
You shouldn't chase after the past
or place expectations on the future.
What is past
is left behind.
The future
is as yet unreached.
Whatever quality is present
you clearly see right there,
right there.
Not taken in,
unshaken,
that's how you develop the heart.
Ardently doing
what should be done today,
for — who knows? — tomorrow
death.
There is no bargaining
with Mortality & his mighty horde.
Whoever lives thus ardently,
relentlessly
both day & night,
has truly had an auspicious day:
so says the Peaceful Sage.
(MN 131)
As the Buddha indicates, you have to make a wholehearted effort to put your attention on the present moment. You have to strive “ardently, relentlessly” to live in the present moment.
This is where happiness is found.
Every now and again, as you strive to reside in the present moment, you might want to guide yourself toward recognizing the happiness that’s found only in the moment. It’s another good strategy. As you ground yourself in your breath, you might ask:
Where is happiness found?
Can I find happiness in this moment?
As you incline to the happiness that exists potentially in every moment, you may begin to get intimations of that happiness. You may begin to detect it. The happiness that’s right there. The happiness that’s always there.
When I lodge myself in the present moment, I’m often at least slightly stunned to find happiness right there. Walking to my apartment on a hot summer night, recognizing my impatience, centering myself in my breath, shifting inward, into my body, into my heart, I find that happiness is right there.
When faced with disagreeable experience, you can still know happiness, the happiness inside, the happiness of the heart. You might suppose, when confronted with disagreeable experience, that all your human experience is disagreeable. You might believe that you don’t have any choice except to be unhappy. But it’s not so. Our existence is comprised of many different experiences. The world is wider than our view of it. When things like the weary body, like the weather, are disagreeable, you can still find an agreeable refuge in the breath. You can still find happiness. Happiness is there. If you look, you can find it.
As we move forward, we learn to appreciate the paradoxes of dharma practice. The practice requires extraordinary patience, wild patience. We’re asked to accept that the path unfolds gradually, slowly. At the same time, we’re asked to pay close, urgent attention to the present moment; we’re asked to find happiness right here, in the moment we’re in.
(from The Skill of Living)
When Death Comes (Mary Oliver)
When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn;
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse
to buy me, and snaps the purse shut;
when death comes
like the measle-pox
when death comes
like an iceberg between the shoulder blades,
I want to step through the door full of curiosity, wondering:
what is it going to be like, that cottage of darkness?
And therefore I look upon everything
as a brotherhood and a sisterhood,
and I look upon time as no more than an idea,
and I consider eternity as another possibility,
and I think of each life as a flower, as common
as a field daisy, and as singular,
and each name a comfortable music in the mouth,
tending, as all music does, toward silence,
and each body a lion of courage, and something
precious to the earth.
When it's over, I want to say all my life
I was a bride married to amazement.
I was the bridegroom, taking the world into my arms.
When it's over, I don't want to wonder
if I have made of my life something particular, and real.
I don't want to find myself sighing and frightened,
or full of argument.
I don't want to end up simply having visited this world.
Teacher Support
Donations to support the teacher, Peter Doobinin, can be made via PayPal by using the address: pdoobinin@gmail.com
(This is the preferred method. Please use the "personal/family & friends" function.)
Information about making a donation using a credit card or by check are found on the Support page.
Thanks so much for your generosity!
Donations to support the teacher, Peter Doobinin, can be made via PayPal by using the address: pdoobinin@gmail.com
(This is the preferred method. Please use the "personal/family & friends" function.)
Information about making a donation using a credit card or by check are found on the Support page.
Thanks so much for your generosity!
March 12
-"The Conditioned & the Unconditioned"
-conditioned things.....
-as the Buddha explained to Rahula, we should learn to see the not-self nature of conditioned experience....
-the experience of body & mind.....
-the five clinging-aggregates....
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Monastery. Then the Blessed One, early in the morning, put on his robes and, carrying his bowl and outer robe, went into Savatthi for alms. And Ven. Rahula, early in the morning, put on his robes and, carrying his bowl and outer robe, went into Savatthi for alms following right behind the Blessed One.[1] Then the Blessed One, looking back at Rahula, addressed him: "Rahula, any form whatsoever that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: every form is to be seen as it actually is with right discernment as: 'This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am.'"
"Just form, O Blessed One? Just form, O One Well-gone?"
"Form, Rahula, & feeling & perception & fabrications & consciousness."
(MN 62)
-the dhamma eye.....
-the development of the path, including right concentration (jhana) leads to the arising of the dhamma eye….
-the dhamma eye is a way of seeing….
-skillful perception….
-when we look at the experience of body & mind, we see into the impermanent (anicca) and not-self (anatta) nature of experience…..
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the group of five monks delighted at his words. And while this explanation was being given, there arose to Ven. Kondañña the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye: Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.
(SN 56.11)
-as the dhamma eye develops … we see into the conditioned, unsatisfactory nature of conditioned things … and we begin to develop disenchantment with the conditioned realm....
-we gradually lessen our preoccupation with the conditoned realm ... and we turn to what is not conditioned....
-no longer preoccupied with the conditoned,... we are able to see what is unconditioned…..
-the deathless…..
-nibbana....
-true happiness.....
-reading.....
-"The Greater Exhortation to Rahula" (MN 62)
-listening.....
-"The Doors to the Deathless Are Open" (Ajahan Amaro)
-"The Conditioned & the Unconditioned"
-conditioned things.....
-as the Buddha explained to Rahula, we should learn to see the not-self nature of conditioned experience....
-the experience of body & mind.....
-the five clinging-aggregates....
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Savatthi, in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindika's Monastery. Then the Blessed One, early in the morning, put on his robes and, carrying his bowl and outer robe, went into Savatthi for alms. And Ven. Rahula, early in the morning, put on his robes and, carrying his bowl and outer robe, went into Savatthi for alms following right behind the Blessed One.[1] Then the Blessed One, looking back at Rahula, addressed him: "Rahula, any form whatsoever that is past, future, or present; internal or external; blatant or subtle; common or sublime; far or near: every form is to be seen as it actually is with right discernment as: 'This is not mine. This is not my self. This is not what I am.'"
"Just form, O Blessed One? Just form, O One Well-gone?"
"Form, Rahula, & feeling & perception & fabrications & consciousness."
(MN 62)
-the dhamma eye.....
-the development of the path, including right concentration (jhana) leads to the arising of the dhamma eye….
-the dhamma eye is a way of seeing….
-skillful perception….
-when we look at the experience of body & mind, we see into the impermanent (anicca) and not-self (anatta) nature of experience…..
That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the group of five monks delighted at his words. And while this explanation was being given, there arose to Ven. Kondañña the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye: Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.
(SN 56.11)
-as the dhamma eye develops … we see into the conditioned, unsatisfactory nature of conditioned things … and we begin to develop disenchantment with the conditioned realm....
-we gradually lessen our preoccupation with the conditoned realm ... and we turn to what is not conditioned....
-no longer preoccupied with the conditoned,... we are able to see what is unconditioned…..
-the deathless…..
-nibbana....
-true happiness.....
-reading.....
-"The Greater Exhortation to Rahula" (MN 62)
-listening.....
-"The Doors to the Deathless Are Open" (Ajahan Amaro)
March Daylong Retreat
March 18
PS 3, Hudson & Grove Sts., NYC
10am – 5pm
April Eight-Day Retreat
April 13 - 21
Powell House, Old Chatham, NY
Visit the Retreats page for details.
March Daylong Retreat
March 18
PS 3, Hudson & Grove Sts., NYC
10am – 5pm
April Eight-Day Retreat
April 13 - 21
Powell House, Old Chatham, NY
Visit the Retreats page for details.
Teacher Support
Donations to support the teacher, Peter Doobinin, can be made via PayPal by using the address: pdoobinin@gmail.com
(This is the preferred method. Please use the "personal/family & friends" function.)
Information about making a donation using a credit card or by check are found on the Support page.
Thanks so much for your generosity!
Teacher Support
Donations to support the teacher, Peter Doobinin, can be made via PayPal by using the address: pdoobinin@gmail.com
(This is the preferred method. Please use the "personal/family & friends" function.)
Information about making a donation using a credit card or by check are found on the Support page.
Thanks so much for your generosity!
March 5
-"Train for Peace"
-steps of breath meditation.....
-step one: putting & keeping the mind on the breath.....
-we put the mind on the breath at one point....
-where we can feel the breath.....
-where the breath feels relatively comfortable....
-we put & keep the mind on the breath by using directed thought (vitakka).....
-we tell ourselves to focus on the breath....
-using a word, words, phrases, or images....
-we keep the breath in mind; this is mindfulness; we remember to keep the mind on the breath....
-we use directed thought to keep the mind on the breath to the extent that it is necessary....
-we are mindful of the full in-breath and out-breath.....
-step two: cultivating an easeful, pleasurable breath....
-when there is mindfulness & alertness, we can bring in step two….
-this step has two components:
a) evaluation (vicara)…..
-focusing on the breath at the one point, we evaluate the breath...
-we discern the quality of the breath…..
-we notice dis-ease in the breath…..
-gradually in the process, the breath will become more easeful....
-as the breath becomes easeful, we notice the ease in the breath....
-as the breath becomes increasingly easeful, we then cultivate the easeful breath....
b)cultivate the easeful breath....
-we focus on the easeful quality in the breath ... and we allow that easeful quality to pervade the breath....
-at this juncture we may notice that a certain kind of breath is most easeful....
-we allow this easeful breath to unfold....
-four kinds of breath.....
-as Ajaan Lee explains, the most easeful breath could in any meditation be one of four basic types:
-long in, long out....
-longer in, shorter out....
-shorter in, longer our....
-short in, short out.....
-whichever kind of breath is most easeful, we allow that breath to develop....
-step three: developing a pleasurable abiding in the body....
-we notice how the breath conditions the body….
-we notice how, as the breath becomes more easeful, the body takes on an easeful quality....
-as the body becomes more easeful, we can include step three.....
-the step includes.....
-expanding our awareness to the full body.....
-now we are "spreading" mindfulness into all the regions of the body…..
-and we are discerning the easeful "breath energy" in the body....
-we can spread our awareness throughout the body by…..
1-moving the mindfulness through various areas of the body ... beginning with areas where the breath energy is flowing easefully ... then moving into more neutral areas, where we might not have much mindfulness…..then moving into areas where there may be some dis-ease.....
2-doing a body scan....
3-practicing full body breathing....
-step four: resting the mind on the breath at one point....
-after expanding our awareness to the full body, we often return the focus to the breath at one point….
-at this juncture in the meditation, we may be simply resting the mind on the breath.......
-we are still using some directed thought and evaluation, but we are not so much proactively engage in cultivating an easeful breath or an easeful abiding in the body…..
-we have, at this stage, a background awareness of the body....
-we are aware of the qualities of ease, pleasure, tranquility…..
-reading.....
-"The Strategy of a Peaceful Mind" (Ajaan Suwat)
The determination to train for peace helps maintain your sense of direction in this process, for it reminds you that the only true happiness is peace of mind, and that you want to look for ever-increasing levels of peace as they become possible through the practice. This determination emulates the trait that the Buddha said was essential to his Awakening: the unwillingness to rest content with lesser levels of stillness when higher levels could be attained. In this way, the stages of concentration, instead of becoming obstacles or dangers on the path, serve as stepping-stones to greater sensitivity and, through that sensitivity, to the ultimate peace where all passion, aversion, and delusion grow still.
(Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
-listening.....
-"Train for Peace"
-steps of breath meditation.....
-step one: putting & keeping the mind on the breath.....
-we put the mind on the breath at one point....
-where we can feel the breath.....
-where the breath feels relatively comfortable....
-we put & keep the mind on the breath by using directed thought (vitakka).....
-we tell ourselves to focus on the breath....
-using a word, words, phrases, or images....
-we keep the breath in mind; this is mindfulness; we remember to keep the mind on the breath....
-we use directed thought to keep the mind on the breath to the extent that it is necessary....
-we are mindful of the full in-breath and out-breath.....
-step two: cultivating an easeful, pleasurable breath....
-when there is mindfulness & alertness, we can bring in step two….
-this step has two components:
a) evaluation (vicara)…..
-focusing on the breath at the one point, we evaluate the breath...
-we discern the quality of the breath…..
-we notice dis-ease in the breath…..
-gradually in the process, the breath will become more easeful....
-as the breath becomes easeful, we notice the ease in the breath....
-as the breath becomes increasingly easeful, we then cultivate the easeful breath....
b)cultivate the easeful breath....
-we focus on the easeful quality in the breath ... and we allow that easeful quality to pervade the breath....
-at this juncture we may notice that a certain kind of breath is most easeful....
-we allow this easeful breath to unfold....
-four kinds of breath.....
-as Ajaan Lee explains, the most easeful breath could in any meditation be one of four basic types:
-long in, long out....
-longer in, shorter out....
-shorter in, longer our....
-short in, short out.....
-whichever kind of breath is most easeful, we allow that breath to develop....
-step three: developing a pleasurable abiding in the body....
-we notice how the breath conditions the body….
-we notice how, as the breath becomes more easeful, the body takes on an easeful quality....
-as the body becomes more easeful, we can include step three.....
-the step includes.....
-expanding our awareness to the full body.....
-now we are "spreading" mindfulness into all the regions of the body…..
-and we are discerning the easeful "breath energy" in the body....
-we can spread our awareness throughout the body by…..
1-moving the mindfulness through various areas of the body ... beginning with areas where the breath energy is flowing easefully ... then moving into more neutral areas, where we might not have much mindfulness…..then moving into areas where there may be some dis-ease.....
2-doing a body scan....
3-practicing full body breathing....
-step four: resting the mind on the breath at one point....
-after expanding our awareness to the full body, we often return the focus to the breath at one point….
-at this juncture in the meditation, we may be simply resting the mind on the breath.......
-we are still using some directed thought and evaluation, but we are not so much proactively engage in cultivating an easeful breath or an easeful abiding in the body…..
-we have, at this stage, a background awareness of the body....
-we are aware of the qualities of ease, pleasure, tranquility…..
-reading.....
-"The Strategy of a Peaceful Mind" (Ajaan Suwat)
The determination to train for peace helps maintain your sense of direction in this process, for it reminds you that the only true happiness is peace of mind, and that you want to look for ever-increasing levels of peace as they become possible through the practice. This determination emulates the trait that the Buddha said was essential to his Awakening: the unwillingness to rest content with lesser levels of stillness when higher levels could be attained. In this way, the stages of concentration, instead of becoming obstacles or dangers on the path, serve as stepping-stones to greater sensitivity and, through that sensitivity, to the ultimate peace where all passion, aversion, and delusion grow still.
(Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
-listening.....
February 26
-"Mental Training"
-changing our habitual patterns of thinking.....
-our capacity to change ... to find a greater happiness in this life ... depends on changing our habitual ways of thinking....
-as the Buddha tells us, all that we are begins with our thoughts.....
We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our
thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the
world.
Speak or act with an impure mind
And trouble will follow you
As the wheel follows the ox that draws
the cart.
We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our
thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the
world.
Speak or act with a pure mind
And happiness will follow you
As your shadow, unshakable.
(Dhp 1)
-cultivating skillful thinking.....
-our practice, in working with thinking, and in working with all the aspects of mental training, is a practice of abandoning and cultivating....
-we learn to abandon unskillful thinking....and to cultivate skillful thinking.....
-some important ways in which to cultivate skillful thinking include.....
-cultivating skillful thinking about ourselves....
-we learn to….
-cultivate thinking in which we reflect on our goodness….
-our merit…..
-generosity....
-virtue…..
-effort & determination in training the mind and opening the heart…..
-cultivate thinking informed by lovingkindness….
-we remember our wish to be happy….
-our wish for happiness of heart.....
-cultivate thinking informed by compassion….
-we reflect on our dukkha (the burdens on the heart)….
-we reflect on our wish to be free from dukkha…..
- -cultivating skillful thinking about others....
-we learn to….
-cultivate thinking in which we reflect on the goodness of others....
-parents…..
-teachers....
-Buddha & the Noble Sangha…..
-spiritual friends (kalyana mitta)…..
-family & friends....
-beings who shown us kindness....
-cultivate thinking informed by lovingkindness for others.....
-we remember that other beings, like us, have a wish to be happy….
-we reflect on our wish for others, that they know happiness of heart.....
-cultivate thinking informed by compassion for others.....
-we reflect on the dukkha (the burdens on the heart) that others are afflicted with….
-we reflect on our wish for others that they be free from dukkha…..
-cultivating skillful thinking about life....
-we learn to….
-cultivate thinking in which we reflect on our the preciousness of life….
-the blessing of life ... the blessing that it is to have been given this gift of life…..
-the blessing of this day....
-the blessing of this moment…..
-reflection: do I make an effort every day to reflect on the blessing of life...?
-reading.....
"Furthermore, there is the case where you recollect your own generosity: 'It is a gain, a great gain for me, that — among people overcome with the stain of possessiveness — I live at home, my awareness cleansed of the stain of possessiveness, freely generous, openhanded, delighting in being magnanimous, responsive to requests, delighting in the distribution of alms.' At any time when a disciple of the noble ones is recollecting generosity, his mind is not overcome with passion, not overcome with aversion, not overcome with delusion. His mind heads straight, based on generosity. And when the mind is headed straight, the disciple of the noble ones gains a sense of the goal, gains a sense of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture arises. In one who is rapturous, the body grows calm. One whose body is calmed senses pleasure. In one sensing pleasure, the mind becomes concentrated.
"Mahanama, you should develop this recollection of generosity while you are walking, while you are standing, while you are sitting, while you are lying down, while you are busy at work, while you are resting in your home crowded with children.
(AN 11.13)
I have heard that on one occasion a certain monk was dwelling among the Kosalans in a forest thicket. Now at that time, he spent the day's abiding thinking evil, unskillful thoughts: i.e., thoughts of sensuality, thoughts of ill will, thoughts of doing harm.
Then the devata inhabiting the forest thicket, feeling sympathy for the monk, desiring his benefit, desiring to bring him to his senses, approached him and addressed him with this verse:
"From inappropriate attention
you're being chewed by your thoughts.
Relinquishing what's inappropriate,
contemplate
appropriately.
Keeping your mind on the Teacher,
the Dhamma, the Sangha, your virtues,
you will arrive at
joy,
rapture,
pleasure
without doubt.
Then, saturated
with joy,
you will put an end
to suffering & stress."
The monk, chastened by the devata, came to his senses.
(SN 9.11)
April Eight-Day Retreat
April 13 - 21
Powell House, Old Chatham, NY
Visit the Retreats page for details.
-"Mental Training"
-changing our habitual patterns of thinking.....
-our capacity to change ... to find a greater happiness in this life ... depends on changing our habitual ways of thinking....
-as the Buddha tells us, all that we are begins with our thoughts.....
We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our
thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the
world.
Speak or act with an impure mind
And trouble will follow you
As the wheel follows the ox that draws
the cart.
We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our
thoughts.
With our thoughts we make the
world.
Speak or act with a pure mind
And happiness will follow you
As your shadow, unshakable.
(Dhp 1)
-cultivating skillful thinking.....
-our practice, in working with thinking, and in working with all the aspects of mental training, is a practice of abandoning and cultivating....
-we learn to abandon unskillful thinking....and to cultivate skillful thinking.....
-some important ways in which to cultivate skillful thinking include.....
-cultivating skillful thinking about ourselves....
-we learn to….
-cultivate thinking in which we reflect on our goodness….
-our merit…..
-generosity....
-virtue…..
-effort & determination in training the mind and opening the heart…..
-cultivate thinking informed by lovingkindness….
-we remember our wish to be happy….
-our wish for happiness of heart.....
-cultivate thinking informed by compassion….
-we reflect on our dukkha (the burdens on the heart)….
-we reflect on our wish to be free from dukkha…..
- -cultivating skillful thinking about others....
-we learn to….
-cultivate thinking in which we reflect on the goodness of others....
-parents…..
-teachers....
-Buddha & the Noble Sangha…..
-spiritual friends (kalyana mitta)…..
-family & friends....
-beings who shown us kindness....
-cultivate thinking informed by lovingkindness for others.....
-we remember that other beings, like us, have a wish to be happy….
-we reflect on our wish for others, that they know happiness of heart.....
-cultivate thinking informed by compassion for others.....
-we reflect on the dukkha (the burdens on the heart) that others are afflicted with….
-we reflect on our wish for others that they be free from dukkha…..
-cultivating skillful thinking about life....
-we learn to….
-cultivate thinking in which we reflect on our the preciousness of life….
-the blessing of life ... the blessing that it is to have been given this gift of life…..
-the blessing of this day....
-the blessing of this moment…..
-reflection: do I make an effort every day to reflect on the blessing of life...?
-reading.....
"Furthermore, there is the case where you recollect your own generosity: 'It is a gain, a great gain for me, that — among people overcome with the stain of possessiveness — I live at home, my awareness cleansed of the stain of possessiveness, freely generous, openhanded, delighting in being magnanimous, responsive to requests, delighting in the distribution of alms.' At any time when a disciple of the noble ones is recollecting generosity, his mind is not overcome with passion, not overcome with aversion, not overcome with delusion. His mind heads straight, based on generosity. And when the mind is headed straight, the disciple of the noble ones gains a sense of the goal, gains a sense of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture arises. In one who is rapturous, the body grows calm. One whose body is calmed senses pleasure. In one sensing pleasure, the mind becomes concentrated.
"Mahanama, you should develop this recollection of generosity while you are walking, while you are standing, while you are sitting, while you are lying down, while you are busy at work, while you are resting in your home crowded with children.
(AN 11.13)
I have heard that on one occasion a certain monk was dwelling among the Kosalans in a forest thicket. Now at that time, he spent the day's abiding thinking evil, unskillful thoughts: i.e., thoughts of sensuality, thoughts of ill will, thoughts of doing harm.
Then the devata inhabiting the forest thicket, feeling sympathy for the monk, desiring his benefit, desiring to bring him to his senses, approached him and addressed him with this verse:
"From inappropriate attention
you're being chewed by your thoughts.
Relinquishing what's inappropriate,
contemplate
appropriately.
Keeping your mind on the Teacher,
the Dhamma, the Sangha, your virtues,
you will arrive at
joy,
rapture,
pleasure
without doubt.
Then, saturated
with joy,
you will put an end
to suffering & stress."
The monk, chastened by the devata, came to his senses.
(SN 9.11)
April Eight-Day Retreat
April 13 - 21
Powell House, Old Chatham, NY
Visit the Retreats page for details.
February 19
-"What the Heart Wants"
-seeing for ourselves.....
-in his teaching to the Kalamas (AN 3.65) the Buddha explains that we look and see for ourselves what supports the heart ... what bring brings about happiness of heart.....
-we should look and see for ourselve what it is we need to do in order to know happiness of heart.....
"So in this case, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering' — then you should abandon them." (AN 3.65)
-the "world" tells us that happiness is found in.....
-sense pleasures....
-gain ... money ... material possessions.....
-status.....
-praise.....
-we should question what the world is telling us, the Buddha says, and we should see for ourselves what brings true happiiness....
-in explaining his teaching to the Kalamas, the Buddha, asks us to reflect on our actions:
-are actions informed by aversion, desire, delusion conducive to happpiness of heart....?
-are actions informed by metta & compassion conducive to happiness of heart....?
-appropriate attention....
-in practicing appropriate attention, we are paying attention to our experience in the manner conducive to knowing true happiness….
-we are focusing our attention on what needs to be focused on, in order for us to know happiness of heart….
-in practicing appropriate attention, we are paying attention to our experience in terms of the law of karma….
-we are looking at our actions, what we are doing, how we are doing it…..
-we are reflecting, “is what I’m doing unskillful … or is it skillful….?
-that which is unskillful leads to suffering…..
-that which is skillful leads to true happiness…..
When we look at ourselves with appropriate attention, we focus not on what we are, but on what we’re doing—and in particular on whether what we’re doing is unskillful—leading to suffering—or skillful, leading to its end.” (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
-the practice of appropriate attention is, then, largely a practice of reflection….
-we are looking at our actions, and asking whether what we’re doing is unskillful or skillful….
-as Ajahn Amaro defines the term, appropriate attention is: wise reflection…..
-there are essentially two levels of practicing appropriate attention….
-mundane….
-transcendent…..
-in practicing appropriate attention, on the mundane level, we are paying attention to:
-physical actions (our deeds)….
-verbal actions (speech)…..
-mental actions (thinking)…..
-looking at our actions, we reflect: is what I’m doing unskillful…? Or skillful…?
-in practicing appropriate attention on the transcendent level, we are paying attention to what we’re doing in terms of our experience of body & mind, in terms of the four noble truths….
-we are looking at dukkha and how we are causing it by clinging (first noble truth)….
-we are reflecting on our action of clinging.....
-asking questions such as......
-"am I clinging, holding on to this experience of body/mind....?"
-"what is is like when I am holding on...?"
-"what are the long terms consequences of holding on....?"
-"do I have to hold on.....?"
-"what would it be like if I didn't hold on....?"
-we are also reflecting on what it is like when we let go....
-when we let go of the burdens on the heart.....
-we are reflecting on what it is like when there is an absence of holding on....
-what is is like when the heart is free of its burdens....
-what the heart wants.....
-as we practicing skillfully, applying appropriate attention to what we are doing.....
-we come to understand that the heart doesn't want the "things" of the world.....
-we come to understand that the heart wants t be free of its burdens.......
-we come to understand that the heart wants to be free ... the heart wants happiness.....
-reading.....
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One, on a wandering tour among the Kosalans with a large community of monks, arrived at Kesaputta, a town of the Kalamas. The Kalamas of Kesaputta heard it said, "Gotama the contemplative — the son of the Sakyans, having gone forth from the Sakyan clan — has arrived at Kesaputta. And of that Master Gotama this fine reputation has spread: 'He is indeed a Blessed One, worthy, & rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, a knower of the cosmos, an unexcelled trainer of those persons ready to be tamed, teacher of human & divine beings, awakened, blessed. He has made known — having realized it through direct knowledge — this world with its devas, maras, & brahmas, its generations with their contemplatives & brahmans, their rulers & common people; has explained the Dhamma admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end; has expounded the holy life both in its particulars & in its essence, entirely perfect, surpassingly pure. It is good to see such a worthy one.'"
So the Kalamas of Kesaputta went to the Blessed One. On arrival, some of them bowed down to him and sat to one side. Some of them exchanged courteous greetings with him and, after an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, sat to one side. Some of them sat to one side having saluted him with their hands palm-to-palm over their hearts. Some of them sat to one side having announced their name & clan. Some of them sat to one side in silence.
As they sat there, the Kalamas of Kesaputta said to the Blessed One, "Lord, there are some brahmans & contemplatives who come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. And then other brahmans & contemplatives come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. They leave us absolutely uncertain & in doubt: Which of these venerable brahmans & contemplatives are speaking the truth, and which ones are lying?"
"Of course you are uncertain, Kalamas. Of course you are in doubt. When there are reasons for doubt, uncertainty is born. So in this case, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering' — then you should abandon them.
"What do you think, Kalamas? When greed arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"
"For harm, lord."
"And this greedy person, overcome by greed, his mind possessed by greed, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person's wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering."
"Yes, lord."
"Now, what do you think, Kalamas? When aversion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"
"For harm, lord."
"And this aversive person, overcome by aversion, his mind possessed by aversion, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person's wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering."
"Yes, lord."
"Now, what do you think, Kalamas? When delusion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"
"For harm, lord."
"And this deluded person, overcome by delusion, his mind possessed by delusion, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person's wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering."
"Yes, lord."
"So what do you think, Kalamas: Are these qualities skillful or unskillful?"
"Unskillful, lord."
"Blameworthy or blameless?"
"Blameworthy, lord."
"Criticized by the wise or praised by the wise?"
"Criticized by the wise, lord."
"When adopted & carried out, do they lead to harm & to suffering, or not?"
"When adopted & carried out, they lead to harm & to suffering. That is how it appears to us."
"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering" — then you should abandon them.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.
"Now, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness' — then you should enter & remain in them.
"What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of greed arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"
"For welfare, lord."
"And this ungreedy person, not overcome by greed, his mind not possessed by greed, doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term welfare & happiness."
"Yes, lord."
"What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of aversion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"
"For welfare, lord."
"And this unaversive person, not overcome by aversion, his mind not possessed by aversion, doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term welfare & happiness."
"Yes, lord."
"What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of delusion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"
"For welfare, lord."
"And this undeluded person, not overcome by delusion, his mind not possessed by delusion, doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term welfare & happiness."
"Yes, lord."
"So what do you think, Kalamas: Are these qualities skillful or unskillful?"
"Skillful, lord."
"Blameworthy or blameless?"
"Blameless, lord."
"Criticized by the wise or praised by the wise?"
"Praised by the wise, lord."
"When adopted & carried out, do they lead to welfare & to happiness, or not?"
"When adopted & carried out, they lead to welfare & to happiness. That is how it appears to us."
"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness" — then you should enter & remain in them.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.
"Now, Kalamas, one who is a disciple of the noble ones — thus devoid of greed, devoid of ill will, undeluded, alert, & resolute — keeps pervading the first direction [the east] — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with good will. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with good will: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.
"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with compassion. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with compassion: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.
"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with appreciation. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with appreciation: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.
"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with equanimity. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with equanimity: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will"
(AN 3.65)
-"What the Heart Wants"
-seeing for ourselves.....
-in his teaching to the Kalamas (AN 3.65) the Buddha explains that we look and see for ourselves what supports the heart ... what bring brings about happiness of heart.....
-we should look and see for ourselve what it is we need to do in order to know happiness of heart.....
"So in this case, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering' — then you should abandon them." (AN 3.65)
-the "world" tells us that happiness is found in.....
-sense pleasures....
-gain ... money ... material possessions.....
-status.....
-praise.....
-we should question what the world is telling us, the Buddha says, and we should see for ourselves what brings true happiiness....
-in explaining his teaching to the Kalamas, the Buddha, asks us to reflect on our actions:
-are actions informed by aversion, desire, delusion conducive to happpiness of heart....?
-are actions informed by metta & compassion conducive to happiness of heart....?
-appropriate attention....
-in practicing appropriate attention, we are paying attention to our experience in the manner conducive to knowing true happiness….
-we are focusing our attention on what needs to be focused on, in order for us to know happiness of heart….
-in practicing appropriate attention, we are paying attention to our experience in terms of the law of karma….
-we are looking at our actions, what we are doing, how we are doing it…..
-we are reflecting, “is what I’m doing unskillful … or is it skillful….?
-that which is unskillful leads to suffering…..
-that which is skillful leads to true happiness…..
When we look at ourselves with appropriate attention, we focus not on what we are, but on what we’re doing—and in particular on whether what we’re doing is unskillful—leading to suffering—or skillful, leading to its end.” (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
-the practice of appropriate attention is, then, largely a practice of reflection….
-we are looking at our actions, and asking whether what we’re doing is unskillful or skillful….
-as Ajahn Amaro defines the term, appropriate attention is: wise reflection…..
-there are essentially two levels of practicing appropriate attention….
-mundane….
-transcendent…..
-in practicing appropriate attention, on the mundane level, we are paying attention to:
-physical actions (our deeds)….
-verbal actions (speech)…..
-mental actions (thinking)…..
-looking at our actions, we reflect: is what I’m doing unskillful…? Or skillful…?
-in practicing appropriate attention on the transcendent level, we are paying attention to what we’re doing in terms of our experience of body & mind, in terms of the four noble truths….
-we are looking at dukkha and how we are causing it by clinging (first noble truth)….
-we are reflecting on our action of clinging.....
-asking questions such as......
-"am I clinging, holding on to this experience of body/mind....?"
-"what is is like when I am holding on...?"
-"what are the long terms consequences of holding on....?"
-"do I have to hold on.....?"
-"what would it be like if I didn't hold on....?"
-we are also reflecting on what it is like when we let go....
-when we let go of the burdens on the heart.....
-we are reflecting on what it is like when there is an absence of holding on....
-what is is like when the heart is free of its burdens....
-what the heart wants.....
-as we practicing skillfully, applying appropriate attention to what we are doing.....
-we come to understand that the heart doesn't want the "things" of the world.....
-we come to understand that the heart wants t be free of its burdens.......
-we come to understand that the heart wants to be free ... the heart wants happiness.....
-reading.....
I have heard that on one occasion the Blessed One, on a wandering tour among the Kosalans with a large community of monks, arrived at Kesaputta, a town of the Kalamas. The Kalamas of Kesaputta heard it said, "Gotama the contemplative — the son of the Sakyans, having gone forth from the Sakyan clan — has arrived at Kesaputta. And of that Master Gotama this fine reputation has spread: 'He is indeed a Blessed One, worthy, & rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, a knower of the cosmos, an unexcelled trainer of those persons ready to be tamed, teacher of human & divine beings, awakened, blessed. He has made known — having realized it through direct knowledge — this world with its devas, maras, & brahmas, its generations with their contemplatives & brahmans, their rulers & common people; has explained the Dhamma admirable in the beginning, admirable in the middle, admirable in the end; has expounded the holy life both in its particulars & in its essence, entirely perfect, surpassingly pure. It is good to see such a worthy one.'"
So the Kalamas of Kesaputta went to the Blessed One. On arrival, some of them bowed down to him and sat to one side. Some of them exchanged courteous greetings with him and, after an exchange of friendly greetings & courtesies, sat to one side. Some of them sat to one side having saluted him with their hands palm-to-palm over their hearts. Some of them sat to one side having announced their name & clan. Some of them sat to one side in silence.
As they sat there, the Kalamas of Kesaputta said to the Blessed One, "Lord, there are some brahmans & contemplatives who come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. And then other brahmans & contemplatives come to Kesaputta. They expound & glorify their own doctrines, but as for the doctrines of others, they deprecate them, revile them, show contempt for them, & disparage them. They leave us absolutely uncertain & in doubt: Which of these venerable brahmans & contemplatives are speaking the truth, and which ones are lying?"
"Of course you are uncertain, Kalamas. Of course you are in doubt. When there are reasons for doubt, uncertainty is born. So in this case, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering' — then you should abandon them.
"What do you think, Kalamas? When greed arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"
"For harm, lord."
"And this greedy person, overcome by greed, his mind possessed by greed, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person's wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering."
"Yes, lord."
"Now, what do you think, Kalamas? When aversion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"
"For harm, lord."
"And this aversive person, overcome by aversion, his mind possessed by aversion, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person's wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering."
"Yes, lord."
"Now, what do you think, Kalamas? When delusion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"
"For harm, lord."
"And this deluded person, overcome by delusion, his mind possessed by delusion, kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person's wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering."
"Yes, lord."
"So what do you think, Kalamas: Are these qualities skillful or unskillful?"
"Unskillful, lord."
"Blameworthy or blameless?"
"Blameworthy, lord."
"Criticized by the wise or praised by the wise?"
"Criticized by the wise, lord."
"When adopted & carried out, do they lead to harm & to suffering, or not?"
"When adopted & carried out, they lead to harm & to suffering. That is how it appears to us."
"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering" — then you should abandon them.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.
"Now, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness' — then you should enter & remain in them.
"What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of greed arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"
"For welfare, lord."
"And this ungreedy person, not overcome by greed, his mind not possessed by greed, doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term welfare & happiness."
"Yes, lord."
"What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of aversion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"
"For welfare, lord."
"And this unaversive person, not overcome by aversion, his mind not possessed by aversion, doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term welfare & happiness."
"Yes, lord."
"What do you think, Kalamas? When lack of delusion arises in a person, does it arise for welfare or for harm?"
"For welfare, lord."
"And this undeluded person, not overcome by delusion, his mind not possessed by delusion, doesn't kill living beings, take what is not given, go after another person's wife, tell lies, or induce others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term welfare & happiness."
"Yes, lord."
"So what do you think, Kalamas: Are these qualities skillful or unskillful?"
"Skillful, lord."
"Blameworthy or blameless?"
"Blameless, lord."
"Criticized by the wise or praised by the wise?"
"Praised by the wise, lord."
"When adopted & carried out, do they lead to welfare & to happiness, or not?"
"When adopted & carried out, they lead to welfare & to happiness. That is how it appears to us."
"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness" — then you should enter & remain in them.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.
"Now, Kalamas, one who is a disciple of the noble ones — thus devoid of greed, devoid of ill will, undeluded, alert, & resolute — keeps pervading the first direction [the east] — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with good will. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with good will: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.
"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with compassion. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with compassion: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.
"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with appreciation. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with appreciation: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will.
"He keeps pervading the first direction — as well as the second direction, the third, & the fourth — with an awareness imbued with equanimity. Thus he keeps pervading above, below, & all around, everywhere & in every respect the all-encompassing cosmos with an awareness imbued with equanimity: abundant, expansive, immeasurable, free from hostility, free from ill will"
(AN 3.65)
The Practice of Appreciative Joy - Daylong Retreat
Saturday, February 25
10am -11:30am (EST)
1pm - 2:30pm
4pm - 5:30pm
Fee by donation
Please send an email to register for the daylong retreat and receive the Zoom link.
February 12
-"Judging Ourselves, Judging Others"
"Therefore, Ananda, do not be judgmental regarding people. Do not pass judgment on people. Those who pass judgment on people harm themselves. “ (AN 10.75)
-judging ourselvesl.....
-we may be afflicted by self-judgment.....
-emotions & thought imbued with aversion toward ourselves.....
-unskillful self-criticism.....
-self-loathing....
-low self-esteem.....
-the Buddha's teachings offering various strategies/skills by which we learn to alleviate the habitual pattern of self-judgment....
-one of the most important of these skill is to learn to refrain from judging others....
-the judgement of others perpetuate and strengthens our habit of self judgment....
-conversely, the lessening of judgment of others will conduce to the lessening of self judgment.....
-judging others....
-we may be in the the habit of engaging in unskillful judging of others....
-emotions and actions, including speech and thinking, that is imbued with aversion toward others....
-ill will toward others....
-criticism of others....
-two strategies for lessening the judgment of others....
1-bring awareness to the experience of judgment....
-ABC is a good strategy......
-recognizing that we're engaging in judgment of others....
A-bring awareness to the quality of judgment.....
-in real time.....
-as a felt sensation in the body....
-observe, with space & acceptance, for a few seconds....
B-put the mind on an easeful center in the breath.....
C-cultivate compassion for ourselves, in light of our suffering.....
2-practice heedfulness of judging others......
-seeing when we are engaged in action imbued with judgment of others....
-speech.....
-thinking......
-reflecting on our actions.....
-asking questions such as......
-"is it useful....?"
-"is it in my best interests....?"
-"is it for my long term benefit.....?"
-"what are the consequences....?"
-the consequences of judging others.....
-in reflecting on the consequences of judging others.....
-we can remember that when we engage in juding others, this action conduces to self-judgment.....
-we can remember that if we want to be free from painful self-judgment, it will be to our long term benefit to refrain from judging others.......
-reading.....
"Monks, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of no integrity.' Which four?
"There is the case where a person of no integrity, when unasked, reveals another person's bad points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another person's bad points in full & in detail, without omission, without holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of no integrity.'
"Then again, a person of no integrity, when asked, does not reveal another person's good points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another person's good points not in full, not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of no integrity.'
"Then again, a person of no integrity, when asked, does not reveal his own bad points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own bad points not in full, not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of no integrity.'
"Then again, a person of no integrity, when unasked, reveals his own good points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own good points in full & in detail, without omissions, without holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of no integrity.'
"Monks, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of no integrity.'
"Now, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of integrity.' Which four?
"There is the case where a person of integrity, when asked, does not reveal another person's bad points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another person's bad points not in full, not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of integrity.'
"Then again, a person of integrity, when unasked, reveals another person's good points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another person's good points in full & in detail, without omissions, without holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of integrity.'
"Then again, a person of integrity, when unasked, reveals his own bad points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own bad points in full & in detail, without omissions, without holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of integrity.'
"Then again, a person of integrity, when asked, does not reveal his own good points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own good points not in full, not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of integrity.'
"Monks, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of integrity.'"
(AN 4.73)
April Eight-Day Retreat
April 13 - 21
Powell House, Old Chatham, NY
Visit the Retreats page for details.
Teacher Support
Donations to support the teacher, Peter Doobinin, can be made via PayPal by using the address: pdoobinin@gmail.com
(This is the preferred method. Please use the "personal/family & friends" function.)
Information about making a donation using a credit card or by check are found on the Support page.
Thanks so much for your generosity!
-"Judging Ourselves, Judging Others"
"Therefore, Ananda, do not be judgmental regarding people. Do not pass judgment on people. Those who pass judgment on people harm themselves. “ (AN 10.75)
-judging ourselvesl.....
-we may be afflicted by self-judgment.....
-emotions & thought imbued with aversion toward ourselves.....
-unskillful self-criticism.....
-self-loathing....
-low self-esteem.....
-the Buddha's teachings offering various strategies/skills by which we learn to alleviate the habitual pattern of self-judgment....
-one of the most important of these skill is to learn to refrain from judging others....
-the judgement of others perpetuate and strengthens our habit of self judgment....
-conversely, the lessening of judgment of others will conduce to the lessening of self judgment.....
-judging others....
-we may be in the the habit of engaging in unskillful judging of others....
-emotions and actions, including speech and thinking, that is imbued with aversion toward others....
-ill will toward others....
-criticism of others....
-two strategies for lessening the judgment of others....
1-bring awareness to the experience of judgment....
-ABC is a good strategy......
-recognizing that we're engaging in judgment of others....
A-bring awareness to the quality of judgment.....
-in real time.....
-as a felt sensation in the body....
-observe, with space & acceptance, for a few seconds....
B-put the mind on an easeful center in the breath.....
C-cultivate compassion for ourselves, in light of our suffering.....
2-practice heedfulness of judging others......
-seeing when we are engaged in action imbued with judgment of others....
-speech.....
-thinking......
-reflecting on our actions.....
-asking questions such as......
-"is it useful....?"
-"is it in my best interests....?"
-"is it for my long term benefit.....?"
-"what are the consequences....?"
-the consequences of judging others.....
-in reflecting on the consequences of judging others.....
-we can remember that when we engage in juding others, this action conduces to self-judgment.....
-we can remember that if we want to be free from painful self-judgment, it will be to our long term benefit to refrain from judging others.......
-reading.....
"Monks, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of no integrity.' Which four?
"There is the case where a person of no integrity, when unasked, reveals another person's bad points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another person's bad points in full & in detail, without omission, without holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of no integrity.'
"Then again, a person of no integrity, when asked, does not reveal another person's good points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another person's good points not in full, not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of no integrity.'
"Then again, a person of no integrity, when asked, does not reveal his own bad points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own bad points not in full, not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of no integrity.'
"Then again, a person of no integrity, when unasked, reveals his own good points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own good points in full & in detail, without omissions, without holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of no integrity.'
"Monks, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of no integrity.'
"Now, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of integrity.' Which four?
"There is the case where a person of integrity, when asked, does not reveal another person's bad points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another person's bad points not in full, not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of integrity.'
"Then again, a person of integrity, when unasked, reveals another person's good points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of another person's good points in full & in detail, without omissions, without holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of integrity.'
"Then again, a person of integrity, when unasked, reveals his own bad points, to say nothing of when asked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own bad points in full & in detail, without omissions, without holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of integrity.'
"Then again, a person of integrity, when asked, does not reveal his own good points, to say nothing of when unasked. Furthermore, when asked, when pressed with questions, he is one who speaks of his own good points not in full, not in detail, with omissions, holding back. Of this person you may know, 'This venerable one is a person of integrity.'
"Monks, a person endowed with these four qualities can be known as 'a person of integrity.'"
(AN 4.73)
April Eight-Day Retreat
April 13 - 21
Powell House, Old Chatham, NY
Visit the Retreats page for details.
Teacher Support
Donations to support the teacher, Peter Doobinin, can be made via PayPal by using the address: pdoobinin@gmail.com
(This is the preferred method. Please use the "personal/family & friends" function.)
Information about making a donation using a credit card or by check are found on the Support page.
Thanks so much for your generosity!
February 5
-"The Path & the Goal"
-the path has a goal.....
-the Buddha's path is a path.....
-like all paths, the path leads somewhere.....
-the path has a goal.....
-the Buddha's path, the dharma .... leads to the goal of true happiness.....
-the happiness of the heart....
-the goodness within....
-the dharma within.....
-as dharma students, we learn to have the goal of true happiness.....
-the path....
-the Buddha's path, the noble eight-fold path, leads us to the goal of true happiness....
-in following the path we develop....
-right understanding....
-the understanding that there is a true happiness and that it is something that we can know....
-right resolve....
-the resolve to make an effort to know true happiness....
-right action....
-we make an effort to take skillful action: action informed by the heart.....
-in doing so, we begin to connect to the heart....
-we begin to know happiness of heart....
-right concentration.....
-the cultivation of concentration (jhana) enables us to come closer to the heart ... to the goodness with in....
-the cultivation of concentration enables us to let go of what we're doing that's blocking us from the heart....
-right concentration put us in position to know the goal....
-the path is non-linear.....
-this means that as we move along the path ... we gradually begin to know the goal.....
-gradually, we're able to touch into the happiness of heart ... the goodness within....
-to this end, it's important that, as we move along the path, we incline to knowing the goal....
-to knowing the heart.....
-to knowing the goodness within....
-to knowing the dharma within.....
-reading.....
-"The Path Has a Goal" (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
The path is a noble path. In the Buddha’s terms, this means that it leads to a goal that is unfabricated, and therefore free from change—with no aging, illness, or death. Because the path is fabricated, the goal is not simply different from the path, it is radically different—so different that the final act of the path, before reaching the goal, is to abandon the path along with everything else. Although some skills developed along the path remain for those who have completed the path—their mindfulness, for instance, is constant—the calm, the pleasure, the equanimity, and even the consciousness present in the goal are radically separate from the calm, pleasure, equanimity, and consciousness developed on the path.
(Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
Repeatedly in the Canon, the concept of “path” is paired with “fruit”: the rewards that come from following the path. Similarly, the Dhamma—one of the Buddha’s names for his teachings—is often paired with “attha,” which carries several related meanings, such as “goal,” “benefit,” and “meaning.” The implication here is that the Buddha’s teachings are worthwhile because they are a means to a beneficial goal—and that they reveal their true meaning only when that goal is attained. The Buddha taught these teachings so that his listeners would put them into action and reap the fruit for themselves. This point is reinforced by other metaphors that he and his disciples used to describe his teachings: a vehicle, a set of relay chariots, a raft to the further shore. The path is a means to an end, and finds its meaning and value in leading to an end that’s worthwhile.
(Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
“And which is the middle way realized by the Tathāgata that—producing vision, producing knowledge—leads to stilling, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to unbinding? Precisely this noble eightfold path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the middle way realized by the Tathāgata that—producing vision, producing knowledge—leads to stilling, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to unbinding.”
(SN 56.11)
Work. Keep digging your well.
Don’t think about getting off from work.
Water is there somewhere.
Submit to a daily practice.
Your loyalty to that
Is a ring on the door.
Keep knocking, and the joy inside
Will eventually open a window
And look out to see who’s there.
(Rumi)
-"The Path & the Goal"
-the path has a goal.....
-the Buddha's path is a path.....
-like all paths, the path leads somewhere.....
-the path has a goal.....
-the Buddha's path, the dharma .... leads to the goal of true happiness.....
-the happiness of the heart....
-the goodness within....
-the dharma within.....
-as dharma students, we learn to have the goal of true happiness.....
-the path....
-the Buddha's path, the noble eight-fold path, leads us to the goal of true happiness....
-in following the path we develop....
-right understanding....
-the understanding that there is a true happiness and that it is something that we can know....
-right resolve....
-the resolve to make an effort to know true happiness....
-right action....
-we make an effort to take skillful action: action informed by the heart.....
-in doing so, we begin to connect to the heart....
-we begin to know happiness of heart....
-right concentration.....
-the cultivation of concentration (jhana) enables us to come closer to the heart ... to the goodness with in....
-the cultivation of concentration enables us to let go of what we're doing that's blocking us from the heart....
-right concentration put us in position to know the goal....
-the path is non-linear.....
-this means that as we move along the path ... we gradually begin to know the goal.....
-gradually, we're able to touch into the happiness of heart ... the goodness within....
-to this end, it's important that, as we move along the path, we incline to knowing the goal....
-to knowing the heart.....
-to knowing the goodness within....
-to knowing the dharma within.....
-reading.....
-"The Path Has a Goal" (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
The path is a noble path. In the Buddha’s terms, this means that it leads to a goal that is unfabricated, and therefore free from change—with no aging, illness, or death. Because the path is fabricated, the goal is not simply different from the path, it is radically different—so different that the final act of the path, before reaching the goal, is to abandon the path along with everything else. Although some skills developed along the path remain for those who have completed the path—their mindfulness, for instance, is constant—the calm, the pleasure, the equanimity, and even the consciousness present in the goal are radically separate from the calm, pleasure, equanimity, and consciousness developed on the path.
(Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
Repeatedly in the Canon, the concept of “path” is paired with “fruit”: the rewards that come from following the path. Similarly, the Dhamma—one of the Buddha’s names for his teachings—is often paired with “attha,” which carries several related meanings, such as “goal,” “benefit,” and “meaning.” The implication here is that the Buddha’s teachings are worthwhile because they are a means to a beneficial goal—and that they reveal their true meaning only when that goal is attained. The Buddha taught these teachings so that his listeners would put them into action and reap the fruit for themselves. This point is reinforced by other metaphors that he and his disciples used to describe his teachings: a vehicle, a set of relay chariots, a raft to the further shore. The path is a means to an end, and finds its meaning and value in leading to an end that’s worthwhile.
(Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
“And which is the middle way realized by the Tathāgata that—producing vision, producing knowledge—leads to stilling, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to unbinding? Precisely this noble eightfold path: right view, right resolve, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. This is the middle way realized by the Tathāgata that—producing vision, producing knowledge—leads to stilling, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to unbinding.”
(SN 56.11)
Work. Keep digging your well.
Don’t think about getting off from work.
Water is there somewhere.
Submit to a daily practice.
Your loyalty to that
Is a ring on the door.
Keep knocking, and the joy inside
Will eventually open a window
And look out to see who’s there.
(Rumi)
January 29
-"Turn To Your Goodness"
-the difficulties in life.....
-the experiences of the world will present us with difficulties, challenges.....
-we may struggle with the conditions of the world: our jobs, relationships and so forth.....
-we may struggle with the body & mind.....
-when there is difficulty, we learn, as dharma students, to take refuge....
-external refuge.....
-we learn to take refuge in community of wise beings....
-internal refuge....
-ultimately, we have to learn to find refuge with in.....
-refuge within....
-as the Buddha tells us, as dharma students we must learn to find refuge within....
"each of you should remain with your self as an island, your self as your refuge...." (SN 47.13)
-in remaining with our selves as a refuge, we turn to our goodness....
-we remember our goodness...
-we have faith in our goodness....
-our goodness.....
-as human beings we have an innate goodness ... as dharma students, we develop this goodness....
-developing our goodness....
-we develop our goodness by following the Buddha's path: the dhamma....
-we develop generosity ... virtue....
-we learn to abandon unskillful action, cultivate skillful action.....
-in following the path, taking refuge in the dhamma, we fully develop our goodness by developing the path of mindfulness…..
-we learn to develop mindfulness of breathing…..
-we develop mindfulness of the body....
-we develop the heart…..
-we develop the dharmma within…..
-we develop our goodness ... we come to know the dhamma within ... through practice…..
-the path of mindfulness……
-the path of mindfulness is grounded in the practice of mindfulness of breathing.....
-our goodness is akaliko ... it is everpresent…..
-we know it more & more as we practice……
-doubt....
-seeing doubt is essential to the process....
-we will encounter doubt as we make an effort to follow the path to the goodness within....
-seeing doubt….
-see doubt as doubt…..
-be resolved not to follow the path of doubt....
-reading.....
-"The Customs of the Noble Ones" (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
Cunda Sutta (Ven Sariputta's Passing Away)
(SN 47.13)
On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time Ven. Sāriputta was staying among the Māgadhans in Nālaka village—diseased, in pain, severely ill. Cunda the novice was his attendant. Then, because of that illness, Ven. Sāriputta totally unbound.
So Cunda the novice, taking Ven. Sāriputta’s bowl & robes, went to Ven. Ānanda in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery, near Sāvatthī, and on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to Ven. Ānanda: “Venerable sir, Ven. Sāriputta has totally unbound. Here are his bowl & robes.”
“Cunda, my friend, this news is reason for seeing the Blessed One. Come, let’s go to the Blessed One and report this matter to him.”
“Yes, venerable sir,” Cunda the novice responded to him.
So Ven. Ānanda & Cunda the novice went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As they were sitting there, Ven. Ānanda said to the Blessed One, “Lord, just now Cunda the novice said to me, ‘Venerable sir, Ven. Sāriputta has totally unbound. Here are his bowl & robes.’ It was as if my body were drugged, I lost my bearings, things weren’t clear to me, on hearing that Ven. Sāriputta had totally unbound.”
“But, Ānanda, when he totally unbound, did Sāriputta take the aggregate of virtue along with him? Did he take the aggregate of concentration… discernment… release… the aggregate of knowledge & vision of release along with him?”
“No, lord, when he totally unbound, Ven. Sāriputta didn’t take the aggregate of virtue… concentration… discernment… release… the aggregate of knowledge & vision of release along with him. It’s just that he was my instructor & counselor, one who exhorted, urged, roused, & encouraged me. He was tireless in teaching the Dhamma, a help to his companions in the holy life. We miss the nourishment of his Dhamma, the wealth of his Dhamma, his help in the Dhamma.”
“But, Ānanda, haven’t I already taught you the state of growing different with regard to all things dear & appealing, the state of becoming separate, the state of becoming otherwise? What else is there to expect? It’s impossible that one could forbid anything born, existent, fabricated, & subject to disintegration from disintegrating.
“Just as if the largest limb were to fall off of a great tree composed of heartwood, standing firm; in the same way, Sāriputta has totally unbound from this great Saṅgha of monks composed of heartwood, standing firm. What else is there to expect? It’s impossible that one could forbid anything born, existent, fabricated, & subject to disintegration from disintegrating.
“Therefore, Ānanda, each of you should remain with your self as an island, your self as your refuge, without anything else as a refuge. Remain with the Dhamma as an island, the Dhamma as your refuge, without anything else as a refuge. And how does a monk remain with his self as an island, his self as his refuge, without anything else as a refuge? How does he remain with the Dhamma as an island, the Dhamma as his refuge, without anything else as a refuge? There is the case where a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world. He remains focused on feelings… mind… mental qualities in & of themselves—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world. This is how a monk remains with his self as an island, his self as his refuge, without anything else as a refuge, with the Dhamma as an island, the Dhamma as his refuge, without anything else as a refuge. For those who—now or after I am gone—remain with their self as an island, their self as their refuge, without anything else as a refuge, with the Dhamma as an island, the Dhamma as their refuge, without anything else as a refuge, they will be the foremost of the monks: those who are desirous of training.”
April Eight-Day Retreat
April 13 - 21
Powell House, Old Chatham, NY
Visit the Retreats page for details.
-"Turn To Your Goodness"
-the difficulties in life.....
-the experiences of the world will present us with difficulties, challenges.....
-we may struggle with the conditions of the world: our jobs, relationships and so forth.....
-we may struggle with the body & mind.....
-when there is difficulty, we learn, as dharma students, to take refuge....
-external refuge.....
-we learn to take refuge in community of wise beings....
-internal refuge....
-ultimately, we have to learn to find refuge with in.....
-refuge within....
-as the Buddha tells us, as dharma students we must learn to find refuge within....
"each of you should remain with your self as an island, your self as your refuge...." (SN 47.13)
-in remaining with our selves as a refuge, we turn to our goodness....
-we remember our goodness...
-we have faith in our goodness....
-our goodness.....
-as human beings we have an innate goodness ... as dharma students, we develop this goodness....
-developing our goodness....
-we develop our goodness by following the Buddha's path: the dhamma....
-we develop generosity ... virtue....
-we learn to abandon unskillful action, cultivate skillful action.....
-in following the path, taking refuge in the dhamma, we fully develop our goodness by developing the path of mindfulness…..
-we learn to develop mindfulness of breathing…..
-we develop mindfulness of the body....
-we develop the heart…..
-we develop the dharmma within…..
-we develop our goodness ... we come to know the dhamma within ... through practice…..
-the path of mindfulness……
-the path of mindfulness is grounded in the practice of mindfulness of breathing.....
-our goodness is akaliko ... it is everpresent…..
-we know it more & more as we practice……
-doubt....
-seeing doubt is essential to the process....
-we will encounter doubt as we make an effort to follow the path to the goodness within....
-seeing doubt….
-see doubt as doubt…..
-be resolved not to follow the path of doubt....
-reading.....
-"The Customs of the Noble Ones" (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
Cunda Sutta (Ven Sariputta's Passing Away)
(SN 47.13)
On one occasion the Blessed One was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Now at that time Ven. Sāriputta was staying among the Māgadhans in Nālaka village—diseased, in pain, severely ill. Cunda the novice was his attendant. Then, because of that illness, Ven. Sāriputta totally unbound.
So Cunda the novice, taking Ven. Sāriputta’s bowl & robes, went to Ven. Ānanda in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery, near Sāvatthī, and on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to Ven. Ānanda: “Venerable sir, Ven. Sāriputta has totally unbound. Here are his bowl & robes.”
“Cunda, my friend, this news is reason for seeing the Blessed One. Come, let’s go to the Blessed One and report this matter to him.”
“Yes, venerable sir,” Cunda the novice responded to him.
So Ven. Ānanda & Cunda the novice went to the Blessed One and, on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As they were sitting there, Ven. Ānanda said to the Blessed One, “Lord, just now Cunda the novice said to me, ‘Venerable sir, Ven. Sāriputta has totally unbound. Here are his bowl & robes.’ It was as if my body were drugged, I lost my bearings, things weren’t clear to me, on hearing that Ven. Sāriputta had totally unbound.”
“But, Ānanda, when he totally unbound, did Sāriputta take the aggregate of virtue along with him? Did he take the aggregate of concentration… discernment… release… the aggregate of knowledge & vision of release along with him?”
“No, lord, when he totally unbound, Ven. Sāriputta didn’t take the aggregate of virtue… concentration… discernment… release… the aggregate of knowledge & vision of release along with him. It’s just that he was my instructor & counselor, one who exhorted, urged, roused, & encouraged me. He was tireless in teaching the Dhamma, a help to his companions in the holy life. We miss the nourishment of his Dhamma, the wealth of his Dhamma, his help in the Dhamma.”
“But, Ānanda, haven’t I already taught you the state of growing different with regard to all things dear & appealing, the state of becoming separate, the state of becoming otherwise? What else is there to expect? It’s impossible that one could forbid anything born, existent, fabricated, & subject to disintegration from disintegrating.
“Just as if the largest limb were to fall off of a great tree composed of heartwood, standing firm; in the same way, Sāriputta has totally unbound from this great Saṅgha of monks composed of heartwood, standing firm. What else is there to expect? It’s impossible that one could forbid anything born, existent, fabricated, & subject to disintegration from disintegrating.
“Therefore, Ānanda, each of you should remain with your self as an island, your self as your refuge, without anything else as a refuge. Remain with the Dhamma as an island, the Dhamma as your refuge, without anything else as a refuge. And how does a monk remain with his self as an island, his self as his refuge, without anything else as a refuge? How does he remain with the Dhamma as an island, the Dhamma as his refuge, without anything else as a refuge? There is the case where a monk remains focused on the body in & of itself—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world. He remains focused on feelings… mind… mental qualities in & of themselves—ardent, alert, & mindful—subduing greed & distress with reference to the world. This is how a monk remains with his self as an island, his self as his refuge, without anything else as a refuge, with the Dhamma as an island, the Dhamma as his refuge, without anything else as a refuge. For those who—now or after I am gone—remain with their self as an island, their self as their refuge, without anything else as a refuge, with the Dhamma as an island, the Dhamma as their refuge, without anything else as a refuge, they will be the foremost of the monks: those who are desirous of training.”
April Eight-Day Retreat
April 13 - 21
Powell House, Old Chatham, NY
Visit the Retreats page for details.
January 22
-"Strength of Mind"
-inner strength.....
-the practice of the dharma, the journey we follow toward a true happiness, asks that we develop inner strength.....
-in developing the noble path, we cultivate inner strength.....
-we develop in innner strength by cultivating parami....
-including ....
-generosity.....
-ethical conduct....
-following the five precepts.....
-we develop in innner strength by cultivating concentration....
-we develop strong concentration: jhana....
-we develop jhana by practicing mindfulness of breathing ....
-mindfulnes, in the Buddha's teaching, is a process of remembering.....
-as we "remember" the breath ... we strengthen in concentration....
-we remember the breath by practicing "internal verbal fabrication"....
-directed thought....
-mindfulness of breathing step one: keeping the mind on the breath.....
-the basic Instructions....
-mindfulness of breathing….
-mindfulness means to put the mind on ... and to keep the mind on....
-in being mindful of the breath....
-we put the mind on the breath (the felt experience of the breath)….
-we put our attention on the breath at one point, one place…..
-places to feel the breath can include…..
-nostrils….
-throat…..
-chest…..
-abdomen…..
-we put our attention on the breath where the breath feels good…..
-we are mindful of the in-breath and the out-breath……
-we are mindful of the breath “it & of itself”…..
-this means that we have the intention to put aside all other experience (sounds, sensations, thoughts, etc)……
-directed thought....
-we keep the mind on the breath by....
-using internal verbal fabrication (essentially, thinking) to direct our awareness to the breath....
-remembering….
-we can think of mindfulness as a process of remembering; we are remembering the breath…..
-at the beginning of the meditation, it is a good idea to use mental noting in an effort to get purchase on the breath….
-once we’ve established some mindfulness of the breath, then we can let go of this strategy….
-mental noting….
-repeating some form of fabrication to keep focus on each breath…
-for instance, saying “in” with the inbreath … “out” with the outbreath….
-or saying, “mind” with the inbreath ... “full” with the outbreath….
-or, as the Thai Ajaans suggest … “Bhu … dho”…
-once we establish some mindfulness of the breath, we can let go of the noting strategy …
-after 10 breaths or so….
-now, as we go on, we keep the mind on the breath by....
-by using directed thought (thinking) to direct our awareness to the breath....
-we tell ourselves something along the lines of: “breath” or "be mindful of the breath"....
-using whatever word or words or phrases or sentences work for us....
-or using visual images….
-we make an effort to keep the mind on the breath throughout the meditation by continuing to use directed thought to put our awareness on the breath....
-we keep telling ourselves to stay with the breath….
-we do this as much as is necessary, to keep the mind on the breath....
-this is a proactive approach....
-reading.....
-"Strength of Mind" (from Skillful Pleasure)
-"Strength of Mind"
-inner strength.....
-the practice of the dharma, the journey we follow toward a true happiness, asks that we develop inner strength.....
-in developing the noble path, we cultivate inner strength.....
-we develop in innner strength by cultivating parami....
-including ....
-generosity.....
-ethical conduct....
-following the five precepts.....
-we develop in innner strength by cultivating concentration....
-we develop strong concentration: jhana....
-we develop jhana by practicing mindfulness of breathing ....
-mindfulnes, in the Buddha's teaching, is a process of remembering.....
-as we "remember" the breath ... we strengthen in concentration....
-we remember the breath by practicing "internal verbal fabrication"....
-directed thought....
-mindfulness of breathing step one: keeping the mind on the breath.....
-the basic Instructions....
-mindfulness of breathing….
-mindfulness means to put the mind on ... and to keep the mind on....
-in being mindful of the breath....
-we put the mind on the breath (the felt experience of the breath)….
-we put our attention on the breath at one point, one place…..
-places to feel the breath can include…..
-nostrils….
-throat…..
-chest…..
-abdomen…..
-we put our attention on the breath where the breath feels good…..
-we are mindful of the in-breath and the out-breath……
-we are mindful of the breath “it & of itself”…..
-this means that we have the intention to put aside all other experience (sounds, sensations, thoughts, etc)……
-directed thought....
-we keep the mind on the breath by....
-using internal verbal fabrication (essentially, thinking) to direct our awareness to the breath....
-remembering….
-we can think of mindfulness as a process of remembering; we are remembering the breath…..
-at the beginning of the meditation, it is a good idea to use mental noting in an effort to get purchase on the breath….
-once we’ve established some mindfulness of the breath, then we can let go of this strategy….
-mental noting….
-repeating some form of fabrication to keep focus on each breath…
-for instance, saying “in” with the inbreath … “out” with the outbreath….
-or saying, “mind” with the inbreath ... “full” with the outbreath….
-or, as the Thai Ajaans suggest … “Bhu … dho”…
-once we establish some mindfulness of the breath, we can let go of the noting strategy …
-after 10 breaths or so….
-now, as we go on, we keep the mind on the breath by....
-by using directed thought (thinking) to direct our awareness to the breath....
-we tell ourselves something along the lines of: “breath” or "be mindful of the breath"....
-using whatever word or words or phrases or sentences work for us....
-or using visual images….
-we make an effort to keep the mind on the breath throughout the meditation by continuing to use directed thought to put our awareness on the breath....
-we keep telling ourselves to stay with the breath….
-we do this as much as is necessary, to keep the mind on the breath....
-this is a proactive approach....
-reading.....
-"Strength of Mind" (from Skillful Pleasure)
| skillful_pleasure_strength_of_mind_pdf.pdf |
Directed thought and evaluation are like doing a job. The job here is concentration: centering the mind in stillness. Focus the mind on a single object and then use your mindfulness and alertness to examine and reflect on it. If you use a meager amount of thought and evaluation, your concentration will give meager results. If you do a crude job, you'll get crude results. If you do a fine job, you'll get fine results. Crude results aren't worth much. Fine results are of high quality and are useful in all sorts of ways — like atomic radiation, which is so fine that it can penetrate even mountains. Crude things are of low quality and hard to use. Sometimes you can soak them in water all day long and they still don't soften up. But as for fine things, all they need is a little dampness in the air and they dissolve.
So it is with the quality of your concentration. If your thinking and evaluation are subtle, thorough, and circumspect, your "concentration work" will result in more and more stillness of mind. If your thinking and evaluation are slipshod and crude, you won't get much stillness. Your body will ache, and you'll feel restless and irritable. Once the mind can become very still, though, the body will be comfortable and at ease. Your heart will feel open and clear. Pains will disappear. The elements of the body will feel normal: The warmth in your body will be just right, neither too hot nor too cold. As soon as your work is finished, it'll result in the highest form of happiness and ease: nibbana — Liberation. But as long as you still have work to do, your heart won't get its full measure of peace. Wherever you go, there will always be something nagging at the back of your mind. Once your work is done, though, you can be carefree wherever you go.
If you haven't finished your job, it's because (1) you haven't set your mind on it and (2) you haven't actually done the work. You've shirked your duties and played truant. But if you really set your mind on doing the job, there's no doubt but that you'll finish it.
(Ajaan Lee)
-Suggested Reading: The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing To Our Brains (Nicholas Carr)
So it is with the quality of your concentration. If your thinking and evaluation are subtle, thorough, and circumspect, your "concentration work" will result in more and more stillness of mind. If your thinking and evaluation are slipshod and crude, you won't get much stillness. Your body will ache, and you'll feel restless and irritable. Once the mind can become very still, though, the body will be comfortable and at ease. Your heart will feel open and clear. Pains will disappear. The elements of the body will feel normal: The warmth in your body will be just right, neither too hot nor too cold. As soon as your work is finished, it'll result in the highest form of happiness and ease: nibbana — Liberation. But as long as you still have work to do, your heart won't get its full measure of peace. Wherever you go, there will always be something nagging at the back of your mind. Once your work is done, though, you can be carefree wherever you go.
If you haven't finished your job, it's because (1) you haven't set your mind on it and (2) you haven't actually done the work. You've shirked your duties and played truant. But if you really set your mind on doing the job, there's no doubt but that you'll finish it.
(Ajaan Lee)
-Suggested Reading: The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing To Our Brains (Nicholas Carr)
Teacher Support
Donations to support the teacher, Peter Doobinin, can be made via PayPal by using the address: pdoobinin@gmail.com
(This is the preferred method. Please use the "personal/family & friends" function.)
Information about making a donation using a credit card or by check are found on the Support page.
Thanks so much for your generosity!
Donations to support the teacher, Peter Doobinin, can be made via PayPal by using the address: pdoobinin@gmail.com
(This is the preferred method. Please use the "personal/family & friends" function.)
Information about making a donation using a credit card or by check are found on the Support page.
Thanks so much for your generosity!
January 15
-"The Karma of Meditation"
-meditation.....
-in practicing meditation, there are two main elements.....
-we are developing concentration (jhana).....
-we are developing our ability to take skillful action....
-in learning, in meditation, to take skillful action ....
-we are learning to practice wholeheartedly.....
-with compassion, lovingkindness, appreciation....
-if we learn to practice meditation skillfully, wholeheartedly...
-we develop in concentration (jhana)....
-we learn to take action skillfully ....
-we learn the skill of heedfulness.....
-we develop the skills that enable us to take action skillfully in all areas of our lives....
-we cultivate skillful karma....
-we change our unskillful karma....
-basic skill.....
-the basic skill for taking the action of meditation skillfully include these elements....
1-seeing what the mind is like....
-seeing what kind of mind we are bringing to the meditation…..
-looking to see if there are unskillful mental factors in the mind with regard to the meditation....
-looking to see if we are practicingthe meditation with an unskillful attitude....
-aversion
-restlessness
-unskillful desire
-delusion
-we bring awareness to the unskillful quality in the mind…. In doing so, we’re able to some degree to get some “space” from it … we able to some degree to put it to the side....
2-setting skillful intention......
-there are two parts to skillful intention:
a) content
-what we are going to do....
-to practice mindfulness of breathing...
-to put aside all "worldly concerns".....
-to put aside all thoughts of past and future....
b) quality
-the attitude with which we are going to practice....
-compassion.....
-lovingkindness....
-the two elements of setting intention are....
-internal verbal fabrication
-verbalizing the intention, using thinking … or a visual image......
-for instance, saying, “I am going to practice breath meditation with compassion, because I have a wish to be free from suffering….”
-felt sense
-connecting to the intention in a felt way ... connecting to the felt heart quality of compassion/lovingkindness.....
-during meditation, we continue to maintain skillful intention....
-reminding ourselves to practice with compassion & lovingkindness…..
-we notice when our intention/attitude has veered off....
-we're heedful ... we notice when the intention/attitude become unskillful.....
-we re-set a skillful intention.....
3-brightening the mind
-it is always a good idea to "brighten the mind" at the outset of any period of meditation....
-the three steps for brightening the mind include:
1-reflecting on your blessings
-the categories of blessings include....
a) your goodness....
-including your good qualities....
-generosity
-ethical conduct
-the effort you make in training your mind
b) the beings in your life that love you and support your path….
c) the dharma….
d) life itself….
2-connecting to gratitude
3-connecting to the heart quality of joy (brightness)
-appreciation
-when we take refuge in the breath, we have an easeful abiding....
-we have the ease that comes from practicing breath meditation and developing the qualities of jhana.....
-we have the ease of non-entanglement....
-reading.....
-"The Road to Nirvana Is Paved with Skillful Intentions" (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
-"Developing Skillful Intention" (from Skillful Pleasure)
-"The Karma of Meditation"
-meditation.....
-in practicing meditation, there are two main elements.....
-we are developing concentration (jhana).....
-we are developing our ability to take skillful action....
-in learning, in meditation, to take skillful action ....
-we are learning to practice wholeheartedly.....
-with compassion, lovingkindness, appreciation....
-if we learn to practice meditation skillfully, wholeheartedly...
-we develop in concentration (jhana)....
-we learn to take action skillfully ....
-we learn the skill of heedfulness.....
-we develop the skills that enable us to take action skillfully in all areas of our lives....
-we cultivate skillful karma....
-we change our unskillful karma....
-basic skill.....
-the basic skill for taking the action of meditation skillfully include these elements....
1-seeing what the mind is like....
-seeing what kind of mind we are bringing to the meditation…..
-looking to see if there are unskillful mental factors in the mind with regard to the meditation....
-looking to see if we are practicingthe meditation with an unskillful attitude....
-aversion
-restlessness
-unskillful desire
-delusion
-we bring awareness to the unskillful quality in the mind…. In doing so, we’re able to some degree to get some “space” from it … we able to some degree to put it to the side....
2-setting skillful intention......
-there are two parts to skillful intention:
a) content
-what we are going to do....
-to practice mindfulness of breathing...
-to put aside all "worldly concerns".....
-to put aside all thoughts of past and future....
b) quality
-the attitude with which we are going to practice....
-compassion.....
-lovingkindness....
-the two elements of setting intention are....
-internal verbal fabrication
-verbalizing the intention, using thinking … or a visual image......
-for instance, saying, “I am going to practice breath meditation with compassion, because I have a wish to be free from suffering….”
-felt sense
-connecting to the intention in a felt way ... connecting to the felt heart quality of compassion/lovingkindness.....
-during meditation, we continue to maintain skillful intention....
-reminding ourselves to practice with compassion & lovingkindness…..
-we notice when our intention/attitude has veered off....
-we're heedful ... we notice when the intention/attitude become unskillful.....
-we re-set a skillful intention.....
3-brightening the mind
-it is always a good idea to "brighten the mind" at the outset of any period of meditation....
-the three steps for brightening the mind include:
1-reflecting on your blessings
-the categories of blessings include....
a) your goodness....
-including your good qualities....
-generosity
-ethical conduct
-the effort you make in training your mind
b) the beings in your life that love you and support your path….
c) the dharma….
d) life itself….
2-connecting to gratitude
3-connecting to the heart quality of joy (brightness)
-appreciation
-when we take refuge in the breath, we have an easeful abiding....
-we have the ease that comes from practicing breath meditation and developing the qualities of jhana.....
-we have the ease of non-entanglement....
-reading.....
-"The Road to Nirvana Is Paved with Skillful Intentions" (Thanissaro Bhikkhu)
-"Developing Skillful Intention" (from Skillful Pleasure)
| skillful_pleasure_developing_skillful_intention_pdf.pdf |
January 8
-"Making Space"
-refuge.....
-in taking refuge, we are taking refuge from the "world" ... the conditioned realm.....
-we are talking refuge from the things of the world.....
-we are taking refuge from our involvement in the things of the world, conditioned things....
-we are taking refuge from our "greed & distress" with reference to the world.....
-in taking refuge....
-we are not engaging in denial.....
-we're aware of the experiences of the world....
-but there's space....
-we're taking a step back....
-we're establishing a skillful relationship to the world....
-we're establishing a non-entangled relationship to the world.....
-there are different forms of refuge that dharma students learn to take....
-for instance, reference in wise beings.....
-but the most secure, reliable refuge is the refuge we find inside....
-with the breath.....
-our capacity to maintain refuge with the breath depends on equanimity....
-we develop equanimity by practicing mindfulness of breathing.....
-when we take refuge in the breath, we have an easeful abiding....
-we have the ease that comes from practicing breath meditation and developing the qualities of jhana.....
-we have the ease of non-entanglement....
-ABC.....
-when we are entangled.....
-caught up in the things of the conditioned realm....
-caught up in emotional states.....
-caught up in thought worlds.....
-we learn, as dharma students, to bring awareness to the quality of emotion/entanglement....
-when we bring awarness to an emotion, we're making space.....
-instead of being caught/entangled in the experience, we're observing it.....
-there is a duality.....
-subject/object relationship....
-we observe the emotion, like one person observing another person....
-there is spacious relationship to the experience.....
-we are, in the process, dis-entangling ourselves from the emotion.....
-the breath (B) enables us to maintain this space.....
-if there is space, we can connect to compassion (B).....
-awakened awareness.....
-when we're able to bring awareness to an experience such as an emotion ... when there is space ... there can be insight....
-we're able to see that we can dis-entangle....
-we're able to see what it is like when we dis-entangle....
-we're able to see that the emotions/objects we've been entangled with are objects that we don't have to entangle ourselves with.....
-turning to he happiness that is always there......
-when we're not entangled, when there is space.....
-we're able to turn to and know the happiness that is always there....
-we might think of this quality of happiness as state of awareness.....
-unconditioned awareness.....
-when there is space, this quality of happiness/freedom/awareness is: sanditthiko....
-the pali term sanditthiko means: self-evident; immeditately apparrent.....
-this quality of happiness/freedom/awareness is: akaliko.....
-the pali term akaliko refers to that which is everpresent ... unconditioned ... timeless....
-questions.....
-as dharma students, in learning to turn to the happiness that is always there, we learn to ask questions such as.....
-"is there a true happiness....?"
-"is this quality of true happiness here ... right now....?"
-reading.....
-"Timeless and True" (Ajahn Fuang)
-"Making Space"
-refuge.....
-in taking refuge, we are taking refuge from the "world" ... the conditioned realm.....
-we are talking refuge from the things of the world.....
-we are taking refuge from our involvement in the things of the world, conditioned things....
-we are taking refuge from our "greed & distress" with reference to the world.....
-in taking refuge....
-we are not engaging in denial.....
-we're aware of the experiences of the world....
-but there's space....
-we're taking a step back....
-we're establishing a skillful relationship to the world....
-we're establishing a non-entangled relationship to the world.....
-there are different forms of refuge that dharma students learn to take....
-for instance, reference in wise beings.....
-but the most secure, reliable refuge is the refuge we find inside....
-with the breath.....
-our capacity to maintain refuge with the breath depends on equanimity....
-we develop equanimity by practicing mindfulness of breathing.....
-when we take refuge in the breath, we have an easeful abiding....
-we have the ease that comes from practicing breath meditation and developing the qualities of jhana.....
-we have the ease of non-entanglement....
-ABC.....
-when we are entangled.....
-caught up in the things of the conditioned realm....
-caught up in emotional states.....
-caught up in thought worlds.....
-we learn, as dharma students, to bring awareness to the quality of emotion/entanglement....
-when we bring awarness to an emotion, we're making space.....
-instead of being caught/entangled in the experience, we're observing it.....
-there is a duality.....
-subject/object relationship....
-we observe the emotion, like one person observing another person....
-there is spacious relationship to the experience.....
-we are, in the process, dis-entangling ourselves from the emotion.....
-the breath (B) enables us to maintain this space.....
-if there is space, we can connect to compassion (B).....
-awakened awareness.....
-when we're able to bring awareness to an experience such as an emotion ... when there is space ... there can be insight....
-we're able to see that we can dis-entangle....
-we're able to see what it is like when we dis-entangle....
-we're able to see that the emotions/objects we've been entangled with are objects that we don't have to entangle ourselves with.....
-turning to he happiness that is always there......
-when we're not entangled, when there is space.....
-we're able to turn to and know the happiness that is always there....
-we might think of this quality of happiness as state of awareness.....
-unconditioned awareness.....
-when there is space, this quality of happiness/freedom/awareness is: sanditthiko....
-the pali term sanditthiko means: self-evident; immeditately apparrent.....
-this quality of happiness/freedom/awareness is: akaliko.....
-the pali term akaliko refers to that which is everpresent ... unconditioned ... timeless....
-questions.....
-as dharma students, in learning to turn to the happiness that is always there, we learn to ask questions such as.....
-"is there a true happiness....?"
-"is this quality of true happiness here ... right now....?"
-reading.....
-"Timeless and True" (Ajahn Fuang)
January 1
-"The New Year"
-the New Year is an opportunity, in looking back, and in looking ahead, to remember what we've learned in our dharma practice.....
-looking back.....
-in looking back, over the year now past, we remember.....
-anicca vata sankhara.....
-all conditioned experience is impermanent, subject to change, inconstant, uncertain, unreliable.....
-the experience of the world....
-the experience of the body & mind....
-we understand ... that experience, by it's nature, will at times be painful....
-in the conditioned realm, there is pain & loss.....
-the dharma student, understanding the nature of the conditioned realm, relates to the unavoidable pain & loss skillfully....
-with equanimity.....
-with compassion....
-as human beings .... living in the conditioned realm ... with bodies & minds that are conditioned ... we make mistakes....
-as dharma students.....
-we relate to our mistakes, our unskillfulness, with....
-equanimity.....
-compassion....
-when we relate unskillfully to our mistakes....
-we bring awareness to our unskillful reactions ... we maintain ourselves in equanimity ... we have compassion....
-ABC.....
-we learn as dharma students to be more skillful.....
-being truthful, acknowleding our mistakes....
-being truthful is crucial to our ability to change.....
-resolving to be more skillful.....
-maintaining equanimity.....
-having compassion for ourselves.....
-looking ahead.....
-right view....
-in looking ahead, making resolve.....
-our resolve is driven by right view....
-right view: our happiness depends on the quality of our actions.....
-whether our actions are informed by lovingkindness & compassion.....
-right resolve.....
-in making right resolve, we resolve, going forward, to meet our experience with lovingkindness & compassion....
-this is skillful, or wise, resolve.....
-the experience of life is uncertain, unpredictable.....
-but whatever the experience of life, we can meet it with the heart, with lovingkindness & compassion....
-as dharma students, we learn, understanding the unreliability of the conditioned realm, to rely more on what is reliable....
-the ability of the heart to meet life with compassion & lovingkindness....
-the ability of the heart to shape our lives, with the intention to take action informed by compassion & lovingkindness....
-we rely less on conditioned things being a certain way ... on uncertain things being certain.....
-in turn, we rely more on the heart....
-we rely on our goodness....
-we rely on our capacity for compassion....
-we rely on our capacity for lovingkindness....
-in making resolve, in tune with the Buddha's path, we learn to rely more and more on the heart,....
-as we rely more and more on the heart ... and less and less on conditioned things being a certain way....
-the heart will lead us to the happiness that is unconditioned.....
-the happiness that doesn't die....
-reflection.....
-what is our resolve in this life.....?
-can we move, in making resolve, from putting all the emphasis on conditioned things ... and more on meeting life with the heart....?
-reading.....
-"Vicissitudes of Life" (from The Skill of Living)
-"The New Year"
-the New Year is an opportunity, in looking back, and in looking ahead, to remember what we've learned in our dharma practice.....
-looking back.....
-in looking back, over the year now past, we remember.....
-anicca vata sankhara.....
-all conditioned experience is impermanent, subject to change, inconstant, uncertain, unreliable.....
-the experience of the world....
-the experience of the body & mind....
-we understand ... that experience, by it's nature, will at times be painful....
-in the conditioned realm, there is pain & loss.....
-the dharma student, understanding the nature of the conditioned realm, relates to the unavoidable pain & loss skillfully....
-with equanimity.....
-with compassion....
-as human beings .... living in the conditioned realm ... with bodies & minds that are conditioned ... we make mistakes....
-as dharma students.....
-we relate to our mistakes, our unskillfulness, with....
-equanimity.....
-compassion....
-when we relate unskillfully to our mistakes....
-we bring awareness to our unskillful reactions ... we maintain ourselves in equanimity ... we have compassion....
-ABC.....
-we learn as dharma students to be more skillful.....
-being truthful, acknowleding our mistakes....
-being truthful is crucial to our ability to change.....
-resolving to be more skillful.....
-maintaining equanimity.....
-having compassion for ourselves.....
-looking ahead.....
-right view....
-in looking ahead, making resolve.....
-our resolve is driven by right view....
-right view: our happiness depends on the quality of our actions.....
-whether our actions are informed by lovingkindness & compassion.....
-right resolve.....
-in making right resolve, we resolve, going forward, to meet our experience with lovingkindness & compassion....
-this is skillful, or wise, resolve.....
-the experience of life is uncertain, unpredictable.....
-but whatever the experience of life, we can meet it with the heart, with lovingkindness & compassion....
-as dharma students, we learn, understanding the unreliability of the conditioned realm, to rely more on what is reliable....
-the ability of the heart to meet life with compassion & lovingkindness....
-the ability of the heart to shape our lives, with the intention to take action informed by compassion & lovingkindness....
-we rely less on conditioned things being a certain way ... on uncertain things being certain.....
-in turn, we rely more on the heart....
-we rely on our goodness....
-we rely on our capacity for compassion....
-we rely on our capacity for lovingkindness....
-in making resolve, in tune with the Buddha's path, we learn to rely more and more on the heart,....
-as we rely more and more on the heart ... and less and less on conditioned things being a certain way....
-the heart will lead us to the happiness that is unconditioned.....
-the happiness that doesn't die....
-reflection.....
-what is our resolve in this life.....?
-can we move, in making resolve, from putting all the emphasis on conditioned things ... and more on meeting life with the heart....?
-reading.....
-"Vicissitudes of Life" (from The Skill of Living)
| vicissitudes_of_life_skill_of_living_pdf.pdf |
"And what is the faculty of mindfulness? There is the case where a monk, a disciple of the noble ones, is mindful, highly meticulous, remembering & able to call to mind even things that were done & said long ago. He remains focused on the body in & of itself — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. He remains focused on feelings in & of themselves... the mind in & of itself... mental qualities in & of themselves — ardent, alert, & mindful — putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world. This is called the faculty of mindfulness."
(SN 48.10)
"Monks, these eight worldly conditions spin after the world, and the world spins after these eight worldly conditions. Which eight? Gain, loss, status, disgrace, censure, praise, pleasure, & pain. These are the eight worldly conditions that spin after the world, and the world spins after these eight worldly conditions.
"For an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person there arise gain, loss, status, disgrace, censure, praise, pleasure, & pain. For a well-instructed disciple of the noble ones there also arise gain, loss, status, disgrace, censure, praise, pleasure, & pain. So what difference, what distinction, what distinguishing factor is there between the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones and the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person?"
"For us, lord, the teachings have the Blessed One as their root, their guide, & their arbitrator. It would be good if the Blessed One himself would explicate the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the monks will remember it."
"In that case, monks, listen & pay close attention. I will speak."
"As you say, lord," the monks responded.
The Blessed One said, "Gain arises for an uninstructed run-of-the-mill person. He does not reflect, 'Gain has arisen for me. It is inconstant, stressful, & subject to change.' He does not discern it as it actually is.
"Loss arises... Status arises... Disgrace arises... Censure arises... Praise arises... Pleasure arises...
"Pain arises. He does not reflect, 'Pain has arisen for me. It is inconstant, stressful, & subject to change.' He does not discern it as it actually is.
"His mind remains consumed with the gain. His mind remains consumed with the loss... with the status... the disgrace... the censure... the praise... the pleasure. His mind remains consumed with the pain.
"He welcomes the arisen gain and rebels against the arisen loss. He welcomes the arisen status and rebels against the arisen disgrace. He welcomes the arisen praise and rebels against the arisen censure. He welcomes the arisen pleasure and rebels against the arisen pain. As he is thus engaged in welcoming & rebelling, he is not released from birth, aging, or death; from sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, or despairs. He is not released, I tell you, from suffering & stress.
"Now, gain arises for a well-instructed disciple of the noble ones. He reflects, 'Gain has arisen for me. It is inconstant, stressful, & subject to change.' He discerns it as it actually is.
"Loss arises... Status arises... Disgrace arises... Censure arises... Praise arises... Pleasure arises...
"Pain arises. He reflects, 'Pain has arisen for me. It is inconstant, stressful, & subject to change.' He discerns it as it actually is.
"His mind does not remain consumed with the gain. His mind does not remain consumed with the loss... with the status... the disgrace... the censure... the praise... the pleasure. His mind does not remain consumed with the pain.
"He does not welcome the arisen gain, or rebel against the arisen loss. He does not welcome the arisen status, or rebel against the arisen disgrace. He does not welcome the arisen praise, or rebel against the arisen censure. He does not welcome the arisen pleasure, or rebel against the arisen pain. As he thus abandons welcoming & rebelling, he is released from birth, aging, & death; from sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, & despairs. He is released, I tell you, from suffering & stress.
"This is the difference, this the distinction, this the distinguishing factor between the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones and the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person."
(AN 8.6)
