Best Of
Re: Sitting with uncertainty
I thought about making a new thread, but I think this fits well here.
In an interview with a couple Theravadin monks one of them mentioned MN 95, the Canki sutta. In it the Buddha talks about how we relate internally to views.
Its a medium length discourse that also goes into analyzing a teacher and pursuit of the final spiritual truth. But for this thread, I'm focusing on the safeguarding of truth aspect.
"Bharadvaja, first you went by conviction. Now you speak of unbroken tradition. There are five things that can turn out in two ways in the here-&-now. Which five? Conviction, liking, unbroken tradition, reasoning by analogy, & an agreement through pondering views. These are the five things that can turn out in two ways in the here-&-now. Now some things are firmly held in conviction and yet vain, empty, & false. Some things are not firmly held in conviction, and yet they are genuine, factual, & unmistaken. Some things are well-liked... truly an unbroken tradition... well-reasoned... Some things are well-pondered and yet vain, empty, & false. Some things are not well-pondered, and yet they are genuine, factual, & unmistaken. In these cases it isn't proper for a knowledgeable person who safeguards the truth to come to a definite conclusion, 'Only this is true; anything else is worthless."
"But to what extent, Master Gotama, is there the safeguarding of the truth? To what extent does one safeguard the truth? We ask Master Gotama about the safeguarding of the truth."
"If a person has conviction, his statement, 'This is my conviction,' safeguards the truth. But he doesn't yet come to the definite conclusion that 'Only this is true; anything else is worthless.' To this extent, Bharadvaja, there is the safeguarding of the truth. To this extent one safeguards the truth. I describe this as the safeguarding of the truth. But it is not yet an awakening to the truth.
"If a person likes something... holds an unbroken tradition... has something reasoned through analogy... has something he agrees to, having pondered views, his statement, 'This is what I agree to, having pondered views,' safeguards the truth. But he doesn't yet come to the definite conclusion that 'Only this is true; anything else is worthless.' To this extent, Bharadvaja, there is the safeguarding of the truth. To this extent one safeguards the truth. I describe this as the safeguarding of the truth. But it is not yet an awakening to the truth.
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.095x.than.html
So I think what the Buddha is saying is less that we shouldn't have views, but he's more saying that we should hold our views as views rather than the truth. Something like "this is what I think" rather than "this is true". Psychologically I think it avoids both the certainty position and the relativist (that every view has as much validity as any other view) position.
person
Re: The space between self esteem and self compassion
To my mind, self-esteem derived from comparison with others is of a lower level, is weaker, and fleeting. Not to be highly reccomended. But also not the only option.
The higher, more powerful, and more stable version is comparing oneself to oneself in the past (results based) or seeing whether we're consistently implementing whatever process we believe it is best for us to implement (process based).
During a long phase of intense running a couple of years ago, I vividly remember the following:
At the beginning, whenever I would overtake someone I would think: 'What a sucker, look at me go!' Whenever I would be overtaken, I would think: 'Woe is me, I suck!'. This was the comparing self-esteem.
I kept noticing and noticing such thoughts in a neutral manner and knew they were banal and of a low level.
As a result of the noticing, over time, this type of thinking totally went away. I realized I was 'racing' only against myself. That it was about the effort, process, and consistency, not the running tempo.
As a result, I came to see all runners the same, as having the same worth, as being part of the same tribe. As long as they were putting in the same effort at the track, the 200kg 'fatso' huffing and puffing while briskly walking and the ultra-marathoner were the same to me. Different speeds and histories, yes. But now that they were putting in the same effort, same in terms of value and respect.
To this day, I cheer on all runners in my mind, and am sometimes even a bit nuts and cheer them on out loud! 😃
Since I previously did a lot of smoking and drinking, very little sport, and was fat and unhealthy, the sporting progress gave me lots of positive self-esteem, with very little or no negative side effects.
Like with other things, maybe it's about the 'level' of the thing we're deriving our self esteem from. It can go from the very gross and banal, all the way to the very subtle and noble.
marcitko
Re: The space between self esteem and self compassion
Re: The space between self esteem and self compassion
A good TED Talk' well done. It talks of Self-Esteem as a comparative to Compassion.
Just a thought:
As defined above, Compassion for self extends to compassion for others while self esteem is comparative to others and is thus unrelated to compassion.
On the other hand, self-esteem derived from compassion for self which thus enables and triggers compassion for others presents self esteem as a component of compassion for self. In that mode, self esteem becomes a non-comparative platform from which to extend compassion to and for others.
In this manner, viewing self esteem as separate from, and not a derivative eliminated their inter-connectivity. But, when self esteem, not dependent upon comparing one's worth to others, is seen as a derivative of compassion, it enables compassion to algorithmically enhance the positive impact of the thoughts and actions derived from of compassion.
Peace to all
Lionduck
Re: Bugs bug me
For ants you can spray the area with vinegar. This masks their scent trails so they can't navigate.
zorro
Re: The old death contemplation redux
death and life is in us. things die,things born. ma earth is boss. meditating on death is a good thing to me. it motivate the one life, one shot philosphy. it light a fire in my butt, to live fully,now and hopely my mantra, be be safe,be smart,be well let me time to alighn my wish be an ok, and fair to my self and to others, untill my last breath.
death can be viewed in zen the void nature. the more i be the void in practice, death is not so scarey to me. not there yet. zen is practice. the void is everthy and nothing in dao
earth.
Re: Bugs bug me
We are their karma as they are ours ...
Their deaths by our hands is karma shared.
Intent plays a significant role in karmic consequences.
Ask yourself: are you acting out of anger, hatred, or ill will?
Or do you view this as a necessary harm, where the outcome may be the lesser of two evils?
In the end, it is your own conscience you must answer to.
Shoshin1
Re: Bugs bug me
I tried always to stick to humane methods but nevertheless I am faced with a little killing.
I think your intentions are good, your thoughts are wholesome but unfortunately life implies death. To live we need to kill certain beings even if we do not desire to do so. Poor ants, but also poor you. I don't think living in a house infested with ants will bring much good to you.
Kotishka
Re: Blessings
Life is a blessing unto itself
Challenge is a blessing
Loss turns to blessing
Gain reflects blessing
Compassion enhances blessing
Mercy expands blessing
Gratitude creates blessing
Empathy enriches blessing
Peace to all
Lionduck
Re: Good news
Historically, Buddhism did indeed reach Europe. Perhaps that is behind the early Christians warning about Influences from the East hundreds of years before the Mongol invasion. I am not surprised at the discovery "Viking Buddhist statues" from the 6th century.
Lionduck