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Loving-kindness and Compassion

upekkaupekka Veteran
edited November 2014 in Philosophy

recently, i understand 'let go of sensuality and ill-will (renunciation and loving-kindness) is something to do with our own mind (developing skillful attention internally) and 'let go of harmfulness (harmlessness/ compassion) is something to do for others (developing skillful attention externally)

your thoughts please

Comments

  • BunksBunks Australia Veteran

    I think we let go of all these things for both ourselves and others

    upekka
  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran

    Over the years, "letting go" has shape-shifted in my mind. At first, it was a matter of, well, letting go of something I actually held onto. Nowadays, I think that letting go, to the extent that it means anything, simply means keeping an eye on things and letting them walk away as a result. No need to push and shove and critique: Just watch and watch and watch some more ... and see what actually happens.

    BunkslobsterBuddhadragonupekka
  • following is an answer i got from one of Dhamma friends:

    yes, when you let go of sensuality and ill will, that is development internally, and letting go of harmfulness is directing it externally. However, I also feel that when ill will is eradicated, automatically harmfulness gets eradicated. Harmfulness doesn't arise unless there is ill will, so once the ill is gone, naturally the harmfulness goes off, hence both internally and externally.

    and following is the reply i made:

    _i agree with above and it happens when one is with Noble Right View which automatically let go of sensuality and in turn there is no ill-will or harmfulness

    otherwise, 'we' always have 'I' and 'other/others'. So during the practicing of skillful attention we have to 'let go of sensuality and ill-will' for the sake of 'I/me' and 'let go of harmfulness' for the sake of 'others' and it itself helps to develop our own mind set (skillful attention)

    for example: a thought of 'my mum' comes to 'my mind'. By that time, if i am not mindful there is 'I' and 'my mum' for me.
    if i can pay skillful attention to that thought, thinking 'this is just a thought comes into mind' , i can let go of that thought then and there and i do not feel like to pick the phone and call 'my mum' (sensuality), and there is no ill-will if i have no facility to phone 'my mum'
    internally mind is settled, because there is no sensuality or ill-will (there is renunciation and loving kindness within the mind)
    we can say by doing so i do not harm 'I' because the mind is already settled and do not harm 'others' in this case my mother

    however this inactive state (no picking up the phone and calling my mother) has no compassion

    without any attachment to 'my mother' but for her sake i can call her since i know it is a pleasure to her

    when i say 'harmlessness' i meant compassion

    all in all, i say renunciation, loving-kindness and compassion we have to cultivate with such understanding_

    what is your thought

  • pegembarapegembara Veteran
    edited November 2014

    I have always thought that the Buddha's teaching are practical. One looks after the well being of oneself and others equally at least in the case of the non ariya. Treat others the way you would like to be treated.

    At this time King Pasenadi of Kosala was on the upper terrace of the palace with Queen Mallikaa. And the king asked her: "Mallikaa, is there anyone dearer to you than yourself?"[1]

    "Your Majesty, there is no one dearer to me than myself. And you, sire, is anyone dearer to you than yourself?"

    "Nor is there anyone dearer to me, Mallikaa, than myself."

    Then the king went down from the palace and visited the Blessed One [and told him the whole story.] And the Blessed One, understanding, thereupon uttered this verse:

    Though in thought we range throughout the world,
    We'll nowhere find a thing more dear than self.
    So, since others hold the self so dear,
    He who loves himself should injure none.

    http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn03/sn03.008.wlsh.html

    silverJeffreyBuddhadragonupekka
  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran

    @upekka said:
    recently, i understand 'let go of sensuality and ill-will (renunciation and loving-kindness) is something to do with our own mind (developing skillful attention internally) and 'let go of harmfulness (harmlessness/ compassion) is something to do for others (developing skillful attention externally)

    your thoughts please

    You have a mind, let that delusion go as soon as possible. ;)

    If you ever find this mind in other than understanding, thoughts of self and 'other', insights and the usual dependent originations be sure to let it go . . . :p

    . . . but can you? Not yet. o:)

    We are interdependent, as one person moves into awareness, letting go, insight, understanding, Eureaka moment etc, so do we all step forward.

    The two conditions of renunciation and loving-kindness and developing skillful attention internally and externally are part of the same dynamic. As you increase one side so does the other develop . . . <3

    upekka
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