Reflections on Carefulness

In chapter four, Shantideva is trying to encourage us to press on toward spiritual enlightenment.  This chapter is very challenging because it is filled with imagery of hell and talk of life in the lower realms.  But what is really happening here?

To me, I view Buddhism as a very psychological religion.  So what strikes me as a part of the overall message of this chapter is that in the world that we inhabit it is impossible to maintain the current state of yourself without changing.  Because everything is constantly changing if you are not working to improve, than samsara is pulling you down into lower states of consciousness.  If you are not actively striving to achieve greater love, forgiveness, patience and other spiritual virtues then the gravity, so to speak, of samsara will pull you down into more negative or selfish states of being.  Therefore, the best way to use this life is to be proactive in your spiritual life and take action while you have the freedom and inclination to do so.  If you wait for tomorrow to take up serious spiritual practice you will inevitably end up in less ideal circumstances in the future. You may have less opportunity or interest in pursuing spiritual development.

Shantideva implores us in this chapter to seize this moment and not to give up this chance, which is so rare and precious.  After all, circumstances may seize it from you at any time.  Shantideva points out that this is an opportunity that we have not seized before (from his perspective, even in our many past lives).  Obviously relatively few are enlightened Buddhas or Bodhisattvas, even though authentic teachers have undoubtably crossed our paths at some point in the past.  It is for these reasons that we should earnestly take up the challenge and push ourselves to learn what we can, deeply and sincerely, in the here and now.

Can We Give Up Our Anger?

We have been questioning the value of anger a lot the past couple of weeks.  I found this good talk about this same topic on the Dalai Lama's website, and so I am posting it here for you to read, reflect and comment on.  He seems to come to a similiar conclusion as our group did, but his analysis is clear and well explained as always.  Give it a read and let us know your reaction in comments...or follow the link above and read the much longer version. 

How can we start

We should begin by removing the greatest hindrances to compassion: anger and hatred. As we all know, these are extremely powerful emotions and they can overwhelm our entire mind. Nevertheless, they can be controlled. If, however, they are not, these negative emotions will plague us - with no extra effort on their part! - and impede our quest for the happiness of a loving mind.

So as a start, it is useful to investigate whether or not anger is of value. Sometimes, when we are discouraged by a difficult situation, anger does seem helpful, appearing to bring with it more energy, confidence and determination.

Here, though, we must examine our mental state carefully. While it is true that anger brings extra energy, if we explore the nature of this energy, we discover that it is blind: we cannot be sure whether its result will be positive or negative. This is because anger eclipses the best part of our brain: its rationality. So the energy of anger is almost always unreliable. It can cause an immense amount of destructive, unfortunate behavior. Moreover, if anger increases to the extreme, one becomes like a mad person, acting in ways that are as damaging to oneself as they are to others.

It is possible, however, to develop an equally forceful but far more controlled energy with which to handle difficult situations.

This controlled energy comes not only from a compassionate attitude, but also from reason and patience. These are the most powerful antidotes to anger. Unfortunately, many people misjudge these qualities as signs of weakness. I believe the opposite to be true: that they are the true signs of inner strength. Compassion is by nature gentle, peaceful and soft, but it is very powerful. It is those who easily lose their patience who are insecure and unstable. Thus, to me, the arousal of anger is a direct sign of weakness.

So, when a problem first arises, try to remain humble and maintain a sincere attitude and be concerned that the outcome is fair. Of course, others may try to take advantage of you, and if your remaining detached only encourages unjust aggression, adopt a strong stand, This, however, should be done with compassion, and if it is necessary to express your views and take strong countermeasures, do so without anger or ill-intent.
You should realize that even though your opponents appear to be harming you, in the end, their destructive activity will damage only themselves. In order to check your own selfish impulse to retaliate, you should recall your desire to practice compassion and assume responsibility for helping prevent the other person from suffering the consequences of his or her acts.

Thus, because the measures you employ have been calmly chosen, they will be more effective, more accurate and more forceful. Retaliation based on the blind energy of anger seldom hits the target.