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.

The Desire to Change the World

In reading and discussing the last section in Chapter 5 last Sunday we got into a discussion on how you change the world and other people.  This is a critical question in Buddhism, as what is the point of attaining insight into ourselves and how to live if it can't be shared in a meaningful way.  It is especially a problem in the Mahayana tradition as your motivation for enlightenment is for the purpose of helping others.

Making this question current and relevant is the display of violence this past week involving the shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and others in Arizona.  How can our study, meditation and the rest prevent such tragedies from occurring?  How do we share the truth of compassion and interdependence of life with those who, not only have not realized it, but act in a contrary violent way?  Shantideva also asked this question hundreds of years ago in ancient India and gives us an answer that is not totally satisfactory but has a ring of truth to it.

Harmful beings are everywhere like space itself.
Impossible it is that all should be suppressed,
But let this angry mind alone be overthrown,
And it is though all foes have been subdued.

To cover all the earth with sheets of leather-
Where could such amounts of skin be found?
But with the leather soles of just my shoes
It is as though I cover all the earth!

And thus the outer course of things
I myself cannot restrain.
But let me just restrain my mind,
And what is left to be restrained?

Through working on ourselves in an honest and true way and living as an example of someone who has transcended negative emotions (or at least is working to do so) is the best way to change the world.  We are interconnected and we do influence others and the world everyday.  For Americans this approach may seem slow and ineffective.  But look at your own life for a moment and what has made you change or inspired new ways of thinking in you?  Change is never successfully imposed from the outside.  Instead meaningful change grows from the inside out because people are inspired by an experience or another person to look at the world and act in a different way.

In spite of our best intentions, we cannot force the world to change even if it is for the better.  Shantideva points out that we just don't have the power to do that.  We must inspire change and prove it is possible by doing it, and in this way we will change the world...even if it not as fast and as dramatic as the world needs or as we would like.

Tether the Elephant with Mindfulness' Rope.

Chapter five of Shantideva's text is titled "Vigilant Introspection."  In this chapter we start getting more practical advice about how to make progress on the path of the Boddhisattvas and the first step is mindfulness.  It is not unique to Buddhism that in order to develop something or achieve some goal you first must be able to act when it matters.  Shantideva talks about the virtues of mindfulness and encourages us to cultivate it.  The question is can we master our attention and direct it upon the task you want to attend to?  Can we do better at refraining from negative activities which we habitually fall into?  Mindfulness is the critical skill that we need to be able to make real and lasting progress in these efforts.

If with mindfulness' rope, 

The elephant of mind is tethered all around, 

Our fears will come to nothing, 

Every virtue drops into our hands. (from pg. 61)

If you cannot control your mind, then your mind controls you.  I think most of us have situations where we are in control but have other situations where we let go of that control.  Think for example how you may deal with conflict at home vs. in the work place.  You would not engage in certain behavior at work because it would damage critical relationships or cost you your job.  But at home we let our hair down and talk to people in ways we would not in a more formal environment.  I think this illustrates the capacity for control and a subtle form of discretion that is exercised, maybe subconsciously, when we need to use it or not. 

When we let go of the reins of our mind like this is, when we do things with less than our best self and commit harmful actions, we hurt ourselves or others.  

With the goal of developing mindfulness we develop more awareness of what we do, when we do it and eventually why we do it.  From this position we will be able to change ourselves in a meaningful and lasting way but as Shantideva warns: 

For those who have no introspection,

Though they hear the teachings, ponder them, or meditate, 

Like water seeping from a leaking jar, 

Their learning will not settle in their memories. (from pg. 64)

This is a very appropriate post for New Years and may even help some of those New Years resolutions stick this time.  ;)  Please post your reflections or your resolutions for the new year in comments.  

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.

Internalizing the Qualities of Virtue

In our discussion last week, several people in the group said that refraining from judging sinners was not a huge challenge.  The real challenge is staying focused on your own path- your own quest for enlightenment and spiritual growth.  This is a wise response and a good practice in dealing with the challenge of judging other people who commit harmful acts.  As Bob Thompson often states in his sermons we cannot change the world without changing ourselves first.

However, a criticism of Buddhists is excessive self centeredness and focusing on your own practice and spiritual development.  For a way that decries the self as empty, there sure is a lot of focusing on the self in Buddhism!

That being said, I have always thought that a critical way to engage in social action (or more ambitiously, to liberate all sentient beings from their suffering!) we need to progress and evolve spiritually in order to be effective actors.  As we understand and internalize more about how the world actually is we naturally display more positive and useful qualities.  As we realize the truth of interdependence we cannot continue to idly harm our planet or our neighbors, because our expanding awareness prevents us from doing that.  And as our compassion grows we will find it impossible to sit on the sidelines when others are mistreated or when injustices occur that we can do something about.  But we will do so hopefully with a thorough understanding of the situation and with a strategy that will remedy the true problem and not just replace the problem with another one.

There is then an argument to be made that working on yourself and your own spiritual path to enlightenment is working on the problems of the world but in a humble and subtle way.  A person who truly internalizes spiritual values and the changes that need to happen in society will just naturally live and express them.  They will also do it better and with less effort than those who force themselves to follow a rigid code of ethics.