Today's Pema Chödrön Advice: Rejoicing Generates Good Will

Sile

"The next time you go out in the world, you might try this practice: directing your attention to people—in their cars, on the sidewalk, talking on their cell phones—just wish for them all to be happy and well. Without knowing anything about them, they can become very real, by regarding each of them personally and rejoicing in the comforts and pleasures that come their way. Each of us has this soft spot: a capacity for love and tenderness. But if we don’t encourage it, we can get pretty stubborn about remaining sour."

(Pema Chödrön, No Time to Lose: A Timely Guide to the Way of the Bodhisattva, Shambala, 2005)

federica

That's a good one..... Tough to do....

Sile

No kidding, eh, when she said "talking on their cellphones" I immediately pictured the vapid, self-absorbed frat girls who stroll blindly into the path of my car every day on campus.

But I am going to try and see them as human beings from now on.

DairyLama

Sile said:

No kidding, eh, when she said "talking on their cellphones" I immediately pictured the vapid, self-absorbed frat girls who stroll blindly into the path of my car every day on campus.

And I pictured the idiots who nearly run me over in their car while talking on their cell-phones.

Compassion isn't easy sometimes...

Sile

PedanticPorpoise said:

Sile said:

No kidding, eh, when she said "talking on their cellphones" I immediately pictured the vapid, self-absorbed frat girls who stroll blindly into the path of my car every day on campus.

And I pictured the idiots who nearly run me over in their car while talking on their cell-phones.

Compassion isn't easy sometimes...

Ha, good point!! Maybe she focused on cellphones for a reason, lol!

Sile

Sile said:

PedanticPorpoise said:

Sile said:

No kidding, eh, when she said "talking on their cellphones" I immediately pictured the vapid, self-absorbed frat girls who stroll blindly into the path of my car every day on campus.

And I pictured the idiots who nearly run me over in their car while talking on their cell-phones.

Compassion isn't easy sometimes...

Ha, good point!! Maybe she focused on cellphones for a reason, lol!

DairyLama

Sile said:

Ha, good point!! Maybe she focused on cellphones for a reason, lol!

When I try to explain what mindfulness is, I say it's the complete opposite of using a cellphone.

AMH

I was actually thinking of the people on the main road through downtown who do not cross at the lights, and therefore put themselves in danger. The one the other day was a homeless guy with a large backpack. I slowed waaay down to watch him cross the street safely, when he got to the curb he missed it and fell into the street. We stopped and put on blinkers until he got himself up and safe, but he really didn't seem to understand what was happening.

It seems we have an easier time thinking good thoughts towards the homeless person (okay it depends but we tend to feel sorry for them) than the person on their cell phone. It is not very acceptable to get angry at some poor person who is obviously not sober and wandering dangerously across the street. Which just makes me wonder,

Beej

Sile said:

"The next time you go out in the world, you might try this practice: directing your attention to people—in their cars, on the sidewalk, talking on their cell phones—just wish for them all to be happy and well. Without knowing anything about them, they can become very real, by regarding each of them personally and rejoicing in the comforts and pleasures that come their way. Each of us has this soft spot: a capacity for love and tenderness. But if we don’t encourage it, we can get pretty stubborn about remaining sour."

(Pema Chödrön, No Time to Lose: A Timely Guide to the Way of the Bodhisattva, Shambala, 2005)

HOLY SMOKES! I just did this! I was walking my dog and got blinded by an unecesarry high beam, got a little annoyed, and upon becoming aware of said annoyance, I decided to instead project some metta towards the driver whom I couldn't even see. It made me calmer and no longer annoyed. Don't know what it did for the driver, but I know it was better than flipping them the finger!