Hello Readers and welcome back! I have been trying to write more and more but finding a topic to really work with at this frequency is not easy so when a thought hits you must jump... and this is me taking said leap... Enjoy!
One attribute that I always have had is getting vengeance.... Yeah, not such a good attribute but I get irate when I am, or a loved one, is wronged and will plot something against the antagonist that will hit him/her ten times over, even if it takes years to execute... I know that sounds crazy but I was one that made sure everyone that needed to get theirs got theirs... In hindsight it seems like I was getting to them before Karma could, and that was not good... As you may have imagined I have paid for it in a variety of ways, but ultimately think I have paid for all my mistakes I have made in the entire existence of my mindstream (what non Buddhists might consider a soul, but with reincarnation, click the link for more Wiki's definition of the Mindstream), which is what led to my “Enlightenment” back in the end of 2010... I am not sure why I think that but do so for some reason. Getting back to the topic at hand, sorry for the digression, when you have had this quality for a long time it is hard to break like any bad habit. It has helped me to think of Karma when I get the feeling of plotting to do something bad to someone because of something they did to me or someone else... I have always believed in Karma, I just called it “You Reap What You Sow” for 23 years instead of its proper name, Karma... It is still hard for me to not get the immediate satisfaction of revenge though, but that is what Buddhism is all about... continuous improvement... It has helped but I still find the need to want to beat Karma to it but do not anymore... so I think I have extinguished a bad attribute...
One thing I am constantly working on is controlling all emotions, thought processes, and really generally anything that comes from the mind. The mind is thee most powerful thing in the universe(s) in my opinion. You can overcome anger, sadness, any negative emotion or thought and replace it with compassion, rightfulness, any positive emotion or thought. It comes with a lot of practice, technique, and various other factors... You really can do anything you put your mind to... One thing that has helped me be able to get closer to this ultimate goal and that is taking whatever happens in any situation and giving it some thought before making any action whatsoever (speech or otherwise). It gives you a little more time to decide the proper way to react to something. To not “jump the gun”. Meditation helps with this. Also keep in mind for those of you that are very busy that active meditation is just as effective and you do not have to be a Buddhist to do it and it be effective. Google “Active Mediation while doing other things” and you will find ways to train your mind to reduce your own personal suffering (I mean suffering in the Buddhist sense as known as Dukkha Wiki's definition of Dukkha) while going through your normal day. Not only does this reduce suffering but it makes you a better person overall from any perspective.
99.999% of my meditation after taking Buddhism as my Foundation Faith (See Blog post called “A Foundation Faith?... The First Building Block of Complex Religious Perspective...”) has been active meditation. I actually did non-active meditation before subscribing to a theology/religion/idea that highlights the importance of meditating... I know, weird huh?... You might have thought it to the other way around before that but that is how it worked out... Funny how some things just happen or work out a certain way. Any type of meditation is good, even done generally (no religious influence, per se). You can dig deeper in with traditional meditation techniques instead of active meditation but you will still benefit in ways that are amazing just through active meditation alone. There is even ways to meditate to find out what you were and even what plane of the samsara you were on (Past Life Meditation Website).
Reflection and redirection of thoughts and actions through analysis done in meditation helps you be a better person in every way and encourage you all to take a look into A Link To a Site Dedicated to Meditation Analysis.
“Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” - The Buddha
Keeping the mind moving since 1981
-automachi
The Logical Spiritualist
Matt, Even though I love to do yoga, I don't know that much about Buddhism. I can tell you have done lots of study on comparative religions and your work is very impressive.
ReplyDeleteIt is a big hobby of mine... Can you tell? Thanks Anita.
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