Practical spiritual growth
Vastmind
Memphis, TN Veteran
To gain an understanding of the totality of your being, you have to look compassionately at your negative characteristics as well as your positive ones, and NOT try to cover them up, sweep them away, or ignore them.
And yet, if you have a bad opinion of yourself, it’s not a true picture, and you will only make your life difficult. As soon as you start accepting yourself as you are, you begin to transform-but even so, be aware of areas of unskillfulness, and room for growth.
In a reasonable way, bring your good qualities to mind and try to develop a positive attitude toward life. With this as your foundation, you will be more successful, more positive, and more realistic.
This leads to spiritual growth. It’s a very practical way to be.
Try to be reasonable in the way you grow-and don’t ever think it is too late.
— Lama Yeshe
Comments
Always remember that practical spiritual growth emerges from within and is the effect and cause of one's actions, deeds and thoughts. This is a process, not a step-by-step checklist. Go ahead, don't be afraid to "stub your toe", to "scrape your knees", to stumble. but always get back up and continue. How else are you going to climb that mountain? It is your mountain, your path to walk.
Perhaps we will greet each other at the next transient castle.
Regardless, we all have each our own path to walk, our own trail to travel.
Learn from the pain;learn from the gain.
Enjoy your journey, all of it.
Peace to all
Responding to Lama Yeshe, there are problems with being too reasonable. I would phrase the process differently. There is a balance between how much you reason and how much you are in touch with your spontaneity. I prefer erring towards spontaneity and being in touch with the inner child but the one thing I am mindful of is just ignoring my anger, my hate, and my laziness, allowing these areas to shrink and my kindness, my love and my energy to grow.
Most everything has pros and cons, what do you see as the cons of being too reasonable?
I think you end up not expressing yourself, and also being too pliant. It ends up as self-censorship, being “pleasant” without giving yourself leave to feel and express your full emotional range. You get wrapped up in seeing everyone’s point of view. It’s also a very mind-based stance, placing mind above heart.
Like the Tibetans say, the path is like two wings of a bird, wisdom and compassion it takes both to really fly.
And a quote from the historical podcaster Dan Carlin, "Everything is a balance, and the problem is, is that because conditions change you have to be continually rebalancing."
Dear Friends who know Everything,
As we may know, we don't.
Nobody does, Not:
The In crowded
And yet, people of varied experience, with and without knowledge, behave as if they are:
Enlightened
For example, Abrahamic religious leaders (Jews, Christians and Muslims) speak on behalf of missing commandments, a tortured son, a book. Their God? Silent!
Scientists, mathematicians and technologists point to their latest confusion and uncertainty. Politicians their lies as truth. Journalists opinions as FAQS.
How many of us listen? Observe?
...And as for those 'Buddhists'...