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July 4 - July 30, 2023
Thinking is the speech of our mind.
The truth must be presented in ways that others can accept.
If you are not able to speak calmly, then don’t speak that day.
practice mindfulness of speech, sometimes we have to practice silence. Then we can look deeply to see what our views are and what internal knots give rise to our thinking.
The practice is to smile as soon as we wake up, recognizing this day as an opportunity for practicing. It is up to us not to waste it.
When we practice active concentration, we welcome whatever comes along. We don’t think about or long for anything else. We just dwell in the present moment with all our being. Whatever comes, comes. When the object of our concentration has passed, our mind remains clear, like a calm lake.
The greatest internal formation is ignorance of the reality of impermanence and nonself. This ignorance gives rise to greed, hatred, confusion, pride, doubt, and views. Together, these afflictions produce a war of consciousness called manas, which always discriminates self from other.
Many people think that in order to avoid suffering, they have to give up joy, and they call this “transcending joy and suffering.” This is not correct. If you recognize and accept your pain without running away from it, you will discover that although pain exists, joy also exists.
It is not impermanence that makes us suffer. What makes us suffer is wanting things to be permanent when they are not.
At least once every fifteen minutes, we need to practice letting go.
Venerable Shariputra taught us: (1) to practice equanimity in the face of harsh words; (2) to learn not to feel annoyance, bitterness, or dejection; and (3) not to feel elated when praised, because we know that any praise is not for us as an individual, but for many beings, including our parents, teachers, friends, and all forms of life.
When it belongs to the sphere of deluded mind, it is known as discriminatory consciousness, because its function is to discriminate the perceiver from the perceived and make the objective world seem to be separate from the observer.
It is the wisdom of nonduality that understands that the subject of consciousness is not separate from the object of consciousness.
Equanimity does not mean indifference. We see the ones we love and the ones we hate equally, and try our best to make both of them happy. We accept the flowers and the garbage with neither attachment nor aversion. We treat both with respect. Equanimity means to let go, not to abandon. Abandoning causes suffering. When we are not attached, we are able to let go.
What is wrong thinking? It is thinking that leads to desire, hatred, and harming.
What is wrong speech? It is lying, slandering, harsh words, and frivolous conversation.
What is wrong action? It is the destruction of life, taking what is not given, and sexual misconduct.
What is wrong livelihood? It is hypocritical and indistinct speaking, fortune telling, trickery and covetousness, and wanting to make profit out of profit.
