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I'm a hypocrite
Cory
Tennessee Veteran
No matter what I know, I never practice what I preach. I would love to do otherwise with what I know. How do I take my knowledge into action? My ego is ruining my life quickly. I always get angry for the wrong reasons, and then tell people not to get angry for the wrong reasons. I tell people not to argue, when I argue, I tell people to be happy, when I am not happy. I tell people not to be a hypocrite, when I am a hypocrite.
9
Comments
I have areas of my life I really struggle with, and I backslide a lot. It's part of being human. All you and I or anyone can do is just keep on keeping on and try not to get too discouraged.
So judging by your OP you have some factors to motivate your practice, so just get to work training and try to worry less about how you are, afterall you're doing something about it.
And to answer to your question, 'How do I take my knowledge into action?' -- 'Practise, practise, practise.'
The important thing is that you recognise your shortcomings so as to work on them, which is a lifetime of practice.
Sheng Yen said something to the effect that he wasn't concerned about people who were struggling in their practice-- he was worried about the ones who thought everything was moving along smoothly.
A hypocrite is, speaking roughly, someone who has higher standards for others than he does for himself. Sounds to me that you have very high standards for yourself. In other words, you're being a little hyper-critical of yourself where a True Hypocrite would be hypo-critical of himself and overly anxious about enforcing arbitrary standards on others.
My dictionary says that hypocrisy is the state of "promoting or trying to enforce standards, attitudes, lifestyles, virtues, beliefs, principles, etc., that one does not actually hold.
Sometime you have to shout to tell people to shut up and at other times whispering works just as well.
Metta on your Ego!
This insight was a reminder to keep focus on
your own behavior, and that working on yourself
is enough shit to handle.....don't concentrate too
much on other's. Keep putting one foot in front
of the other, and remember....
EVERYONE has the ego problem.
It's called practice for a reason.
No quick fixes/wins here or anywhere.
Try not to be so hard on yourself. Treat yourself like you would treat your closest friend. Make friends with your errors and be forgiving.
Examine what it is that you do know - if you know it then it is part of you.
Give yourself a break - you sound like a good guy and you have a lifetime ahead - smile, take it easy and nothing need be ruined.
There is no doubt merit in sharing knowledge - when this turns into preaching there's probably not much sharing going on... perhaps this can act as a marker for you showing you that even when you know, it takes something more to put it into action - so maybe you can see why we all share this common condition.
How to put knowledge into action is a very good question - the answer is patronisingly simple and also a well known commercial slogan... just do it - it sounds crazy I know but at the end when all the sparkle and jazzmatazz is gone, if you don't do it no-one will - there are lots of intermediate steps and tricks of the mind and whatnot - in my life and from my experience, I've found that the best and surest way is to just do it- that stuff that you think, get up and use your body to put it into action - it's the miracle of creation.
You can show 'em better than you can tell 'em.
. . . It's an emptiness thing
You can't really become a full member of the NB hypocrisy club, until you agree to not post any more truthfully vulnerable personal stuff.
Until then...
Monday here at the club is doing superficial Buddhist make overs.
Tuesday is the mantra class of "do as I've read, not as I do.
Weds is precept dodge ball.
Thurs is magical thinking night.
Fri is learning effective Buddhist speak to justify just about anything.
Sat is usually us just trying to raise bail again for Lobster.
Apparently Lobster is planning on leaving the club for some more transcendent gig by the end of the year so a vacancy is possible.
Warning!
Only some unseemly surrendering of your attachments would prevent membership.
With ourselves alone however it is the whole issue all the time which can be overwhelming at times.
Hypocrisy Anonymous serenity puja (to be used before preaching)
"May All Buddhas
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can
And wisdom to know the difference"
:wave: