Last post’s discussion of tonglen (taking suffering and giving love and wisdom) is not a complete practice for most of us who do not realize emptiness. Realizing emptiness requires accumulating massive amounts of merit. We do this by cleaning up our junk. Thus, we return to emotional hygiene, recognizing anger, jealousy, and pride and transforming them into tolerance, appreciation, and humility. Furthermore, we clean out the selfish junk by practicing the six perfections of generosity, ethics of no-harm, tolerance, diligence, concentration, and wisdom. Enough work for a lifetime, or two or three.
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With a relaxed mind, say a clock on the wall
With a relaxed mind, look at something, anything, say a clock on the wall. Mentally check to see if there is really a clock over there, seeming to exist on its own. Check to see […]
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The 6 perfections
Those of us trying to improve our compassion focus on the 6 perfections to open the heart and reduce attachment to the ego and its possessions. These start with the easiest, generosity. But not so […]
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Journey along the path to enlightenment
Based on a correct understanding of reality through knowing the two truths, we begin our journey along the path to enlightenment. Understanding conventional reality built around concepts and language, we practice compassion. This allows us […]