Being mindful of our actions
Vastmind
Memphis, TN Veteran
Excerpted from The Path to Happiness by Venerable Thubten Chodron
Mindfulness enables us to be aware if we are about to act destructively as we go through the day. Mindfulness says, “Uh oh! I’m getting angry,” or “I’m being greedy,” or “I’m feeling jealous.” Then we can apply the various antidotes the Buddha taught to help us calm our minds. For example, if we discover we are annoyed and anger is arising, we can stop and look at the situation from the other person’s point of view. When we do this, we recognize they want to be happy, and because they aren’t happy, they are doing that action we find objectionable. Then instead of harming them out of anger, we will be more compassionate and understanding, and will work with them to negotiate an agreement.
But how do we do this when a quarrel is just about to start or we’re already in the middle of one? We have to practice beforehand, in our meditation practice. In the heat of the situation, it is difficult to remember what the Buddha taught if we haven’t practiced it already when we were calm and peaceful. In the same way that a football team practices on a regular basis, we need to meditate on patience and to recite prayers daily to get well-trained. Then when we encounter a situation in daily life, we will be able to use the teachings.
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Comments
Samsara = Mind turned outwards lost in its projection (Been there and done that-more times than I care to admit)
Nirvana = Mind turned inwards recognising its true nature (Practicing on being there and doing that-practice makes perfect and perfect practice makes perfect practice)
Some might say that..
Samsara = phenomena being subjugated by a "self versus others" mentality.
Is such suffering actually addressed merely by the direction that a mind faces?
Couldn't a Mind turned inwards also describe myopic limitations, just as a mind
turned outwards might offer a wider world beyond the walls of our sandbox?
Nirvana= phenomena no longer being shang-highed by an ego's cravings.
What does a No Mind know anyway?
Appropriate actions are one spoke of the 8 fold path wheel and as such are best supported by the understanding, thought, speech, lively hood/relationships, effort, mindfulness & concentration of the 4 Nobel Truths.
Nothing is Everything or is it Everything is Nothing.
Oh wait... it was a rhetorical question. As we Know Mind is
No questions or answers
I constantly find myself in a bitter and angry emotional state, feeling unsupported by my friends and strangers alike as an artist and sometimes it takes a lot not to tell everyone what to do with themselves in an angry rant. For feeling hurt by their passivity and for not meeting my expectations. I don't know how to manage my expectations, that just doesn't seem to be possible for me, no matter how much I try to calm my mind, how much I read about a more balanced and healthier life, I desire for my creative work to be seen, recognized and appreciated by others and I envy those whose projects and efforts are. I don't think I want much on the grand scale of things, I'd rather have a handful of dedicated, avid fans than millions of subscribers, but often I'm met with complete passivity, complete silence, so naturally I want more than I have and my ego is hurt, being depressed doesn't help either. What is a good way to develop a consistent feeling of content with such? A lack of desire for such if simply intellectually coming to terms with the destructiveness of it all doesn't do the trick and I remain emotionally dependent on my environment? Because I don't want to be mean to people who can't help their lack of interest and are otherwise trying to be friendly in their own reserved ways. But at times like this I could spend days on just spiraling around the right thing to say that would convey my feelings and would make them understand and change their behavior and there's just no such thing, I can only make things worse with anything I say and if I don't say anything it feels like I'm expecting this hurt inner child to just shut up and act like an adult. Which... in a way is repression, I don't believe that's healthy either. I could really use some practical advice for everyday situations, I'm already very much asocial and starting 2026 with becoming antisocial would be a new low for me.
@RobinH
As someone whose art is writing, even though I do it rarely, I have found:
... that when I write from a place of trying to tell people what they 'should' or 'ought' or 'would be beneficial' to think and feel (according to me), this never works and I only get pushback.
... that when I write honestly and vulnerably from the perspective of having aroused in myself something positive, or have induced in myself a catharsis, only then do I get positive feeedback, and sometimes - when the muses visit - tremendously positive feedback.
The 'trick' is that arousing something positive in me arouses something positive in the reader and arousing a catharsis for me arouses a catharsis in the reader and everyone wants and is benefited by that.
Just some thoughts that came up for me.
@RobinH
I found a long time ago that having expectations of one’s public is a road to pain and discontent. I’ve been an artist at times in my working life, and at other times I have been in charge of teams making artistic products. For me the road to happiness was just to see myself as a steward making a product that was artistically pleasing as well as technically sound.
The thing is if you see yourself as ‘the creator’ or ‘the owner’ of an artwork, you become egoically involved in its appreciation and success. I think it’s worth considering if you want the ego to be part of this process; you could also let go of all considerations of success and failure, and just try to create for the joy of it, with an eye to quality, and just make the best things you can.
I think in that case success will eventually follow.
This is a true story.
There I was in Europe. Trying to avoid DJ Tramp and his familiars. When I decided to ignore all the whingeing and misunderstood. Landed up here.
https://expressional.social/auth/sign_up
My plans for... (oh wait no plan) is to
Some interesting things written here, thank you. Although of course I want the ego to be a part of this process. When I write it's a world of my own, it's like watching my favorite tv show with adventures and surprises around every corner. Adventures are to be shared. And I really love my characters. I don't think anyone can actually see me without understanding them. Not sure if anyone here ever felt that way.