Searching all directions with your awareness, you find no one dearer than yourself...
-Buddha (Ud 5.1)

Why did we create this blog

This blog was created in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting in Newtown, USA, where 20 first-graders ages ranging from 6-7 were massacred by an angry 2o year old gunman. This took place on the 14th of December, 2012. We believe if he was taught how to love himself, how to be kind to himself, how to be compassionate to himself and how to appreciate himself, from an earlier age (pre-school) none of these things would have happened. It was a very sad occasion to all of us and it is time now to change its course. We have to acknowledge this happened, forgive the person who did it and learn from this tragedy. -Devni W.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

How can we train ourselves to be kind and compassionate?


Two kinds of thoughts (Please click on the picture to enlarge it)

The mind is a creature of habit. Whatever we pursue with our thinking, and ponder about constantly, becomes the inclination of our mind (see above picture). So it is possible to change our mind with practice and ultimately change our own behaviour pattern, either good or bad (see above the two ways of thinking). We can do it.  It is a matter of actively shifting the thought pattern in the mind, and with practice, speech and bodily action will follow. It would be nice if we can implement thoughts of loving kindness and non-harm in our society too. It will be more effective if we start this at an early age, like an early childhood education program in schools. If this happens in the future, we should see less of these horrible school shootings, murders and other acts of violence plaguing our society today. The key is the practice of loving-kindness.  Whatever you do you are training your mind. Every moment you think a thought of compassion or kindness, it is impossible at that very moment to hate or feel ill-will.  Therefore it makes more sense to take the path of loving kindness, compassion. Simple thoughts of love and kindness will prohibit those of anger and hate.  It will most certainly benefit you and the people around you too.

Even when we train our minds this way sometimes we may get angry or annoyed at others from time to time. How can we subdue anger towards another person when it arises? One way is you can look at the good side of a person, (verbal, bodily or mental behaviour) even sometimes its difficult to find. There has be some good in everybody and if we look hard enough and we will find. This way we can subdue anger towards that person. 

-Aghatavinaya Sutta: Subduing Hatred

There are five ways of removing annoyance (or anger) when it arises in you:

1. "Loving-kindness can be maintained in being towards a person with whom you are annoyed: this is how annoyance with him can be removed'.

2. "Compassion can be maintained in being towards a person with whom you are annoyed; this too is how annoyance with him can be removed'.

3. "Onlooking equanimity can be maintained in being towards a person with whom you are annoyed; this too is how annoyance with him can be removed'.

4. "The forgetting and ignoring of a person with whom you are annoyed can be practiced; this too is how annoyance with him can be removed'.

5. "Ownership of deeds in a person with whom you are annoyed can be concentrated upon thus: 'This good person is owner of his deeds, heir to his deeds, his deeds are the womb from which he is born, his deeds are his kin for whom he is responsible, his deeds are his refuge, he is heir to his deeds, be they good or bad.' This too is how annoyance with him can be
 removed".

-Aghatapativinaya Sutta

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