a
The word bodhisattva has been defined as meaning “heroic being,” “spiritual warrior,” or “illumined heart and valiant one.” 7 Bodhisattvas, “gentle and not abusive,” react spontaneously to their impulse of compassion toward everyone and all, and are fully involved in the affairs of the world; they are in the midst of it, with all its struggles and tribulations. Theirs is not a negative way of denying and abandoning the world, but a positive way of affirming it and transforming it, by virtue of their great compassion and great wisdom. Their life task is to set people free from ignorance, passion, and evil.
a
ROUND OF EXISTENCE- SAMSARA
Before entering the path, individuals in all their actions are motivated only by egocentric desires to acquire wealth, power, reputation, i.e., to have pleasure and escape from pain. But little do they know that the scramble for wealth, power, and any worldly aim can never bring satisfaction. This pursuit is what Buddhists call the condition of samsara—a Sanskrit term that means “circling.” In this life it refers to our ingrained strong habit of going around and around in circles, chasing after gratification of desires, pleasures of one sort or another, which are invariably eluding us. This is the perpetuum mobile of mundane life: moving from one situation to another, fluctuating from one mood to another, desiring an object, acquiring and tasting it, becoming saturated, frustrated, discarding it, and turning around to start the very same process again and again. We never reach the soughtafter goal, for the very characteristic of samsara is dissatisfaction— suffering. The term samsara applies also to the cyclic existence of continuous rebirths, out of which there is no escape, until liberation, that is, nirvana. In that sense samsara means “the round of existence.
A
“Be grateful for triggers, they point to where you are not free.” ~Unknown
A
“The first step towards change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.” ~Nathaniel Branden
A
When we lose someone we love we must learn not to live without them, but to live with the love they left behind.” ~Unknown
A
Before you put yourself down, please consider everything you’ve accomplished to get to this point, every life you’ve touched, and every moment you’ve pushed beyond your fears. You are a champion, a fighter. You are worthy of nothing less than the deepest love you have to share.” ~Scott Stabile
A
B
A
NO COMPLAINTS DIET
'm a big believer in the "no complaints diet". This isn't some form of toxic positivity but a recognition that complaining achieves nothing and undermines our wellbeing.
As I see it, there are three constructive ways to deal with circumstances we don't like:
- Do something to change them
- Walk away from them
- Accept them
If we can change something for the better, then this is usually our best course of action. If not, and the cost of walking away from it is negligible (or positive), then that's a valid alternative. But when the first two options aren't available, then the only rational response is to accept things, no matter how imperfect they may be. Otherwise, we'll get trapped in negative emotions, thoughts, and actions.
| The content of your character is your choice. Day by day, what you choose, what you think and what you do is who you become." |
| - Heraclitus a |
No comments:
Post a Comment