How We Grow Patience

Recently we have been reading chapter six on patience which, in my opinion, is the most critical chapter in the book.  It begins with this:

All the good works gathered in a thousand ages,
Such as deeds of generosity,
And offerings to the Blissful Ones-
A single flash of anger shatters them.

No evil is their similar to anger,
No austerity is there similar to patience.
Steep yourself, therefore, in patience,
In various ways, insistently. 

From this passage, we can sense the imperative to cultivate the type of patience that can defeat our anger.  This is a very large goal for most of us and can be off putting.  In our fast moving society, which focuses on immediate gratification, we have many opportunities to practice patience every day in smaller ways.  We can prepare our minds to deal with the larger challenges of anger and hatred which are harder to tackle by practicing on the smaller annoying or frustrating inconveniences of life.  This is a practical and doable way to grow our capacity for patience.

I overheard a person talking to his friend on the El a couple weeks ago about how annoyed he was when the person in front of him on the escalator blocked his way and prevented him from walking up.  He confessed that he was in no rush on this occasion and didn't even know why he was so annoyed.  We are often habitually impatient because this is encouraged by the world around us.  However, we can choose to be mindful and to respond with patience instead of frustration or exasperation.

Keeping this practice in mind may help to make us calmer and more relaxed.  This will not not only train us to not get upset habitually but will also spread a little more calm in a world which desperately needs it.  In the comments section share your stories of being impatient in everyday life, or moments when you realized you were being impatient and changed it.

This Precious Human Life

Last week we discussed self centered love and affection versus a more universal type of love which can be developed for all people regardless of one's personal attachments.  The question was asked if that is really possible and if there are people who experience this.  I think that this is a very good question and it relates to one of the reasons I was attracted to Buddhist thought and philosophy in the first place.  Buddhism believes that human beings (and therefore: us) have great potential and worth.  In fact we have the most potential to achieve the highest spiritual attainments than any other type of sentient being in existence.  (Wrap your mind around that!)

Recently I heard a lecture by Robert Thurman (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Thurman) which addresses the assumptions within Buddhism about the worth and potential of an individual.  Robert Thurman asks in his lecture, "how much do you really appreciate yourself and what are you capable of achieving?  ...Is it all you can do to learn a little about Mozart and go to the Opera once in a while?  Or maybe all you can do is trudge through life doing the same old things that you've always done? Is this what you are capable of?  Is that really it?"  He offers multiple examples like this, and his and Buddhism's answer, of course, is "No."  You are capable of much much more. You are a human being and have "the highest evolutionary ability" and potential on earth.  You have the highest opportunity "to become the most magnificent being...that could be the source of blessing and benefit to millions (of beings.)"  And if you think your potential is less than this then you are really selling yourself short.

Thurman extolls that we have the capacity to develop sharp diamond like concentration, a imperturbable serene calmness or even self transcendence!  But instead we waste our time or wait for the next distraction or entertainment.  Buddhism challenges us to confront our own limited ideas about what we are and what we can achieve with the brief time of our life.  If we truly can become enlightened or achieve universal love for all of humankind may be irrelevant... just believing that we can, may help us to accomplish much more than we would have imagined possible.

You can listen to Robert Thurman's lecture on this subject by clicking here and either stream or download it.  There are multiple engaging podcasts of Thurman lecturing on Buddhism if you are interested.