Last week I explained the Four Noble Truths and said that we would delve further into the fourth truth, the Truth of Path, which is the path outlined by Buddha to cease our suffering. After we make it through these we can get into how all of this talk of the 4 of this and the 8 of that and the 3 of the other relates to our topic of food and eating.
So here they are:
Right View - This is about seeing reality as it really is. It specifically refers to understanding the teachings of impermanence and emptiness (we haven't gone into these yet but will!). In simple terms these teachings are about the changing nature of everything and how things aren't really as they seem, they are less solid, less concrete. This is a complex concept so I will point you towards teachings by qualified teachers when we get further into the subject of emptiness.
Right Intention - This refers to one's attitude and determination. It is about seeing the value in spiritual endeavors. It has three aspects. The first is receptivity or openness. The second is renunciation, being willing to give up that which causes us suffering. The third aspect is having loving thoughts.
Right Speech - This refers to what Jack Kornfield calls "speech from the heart". It is using our speech in ways that benefit others rather than those that harm others. The first aspect is of telling only that which is true and the second is of using speech that is helpful. The opposite of Right Speech (Wrong Speech) is gossip, unnecessary or untruthful speech.
Right Action - This refers to what is called "Ahimsa" in Sanskrit. It is acting in a way that does not harm other beings. That sounds far more simple than it actually is. Most of the time we go about our lives without stopping to think about the consequences of our actions. Buddha asks us to do so. There are two aspects to Right Action.There is the restraint of not-harming, for example not killing, and then there is the active side of performing positive actions, for example, saving lives. The five basic precepts of a lay practitioner we discussed previously fall under Right Action. What I found when I first started to examine my actions to determine if they were beneficial, a small space appeared between the thought and the action, so I could make a purposeful decision about my actions. It's amazing. I remember thinking that I had always thought that I was a nice person until I started studying Buddhism! When you start to look at your actions you might see areas that need improvement like I did.
Right Livelihood - This refers to making a living in a way that does not harm. It has five aspects. The first is doing something that is not harmful, so not doing work that involves weapons, drugs, killing, slavery, poisons, etc. The second is appropriate happiness. There are three aspects to appropriate happiness. The first is having some kind of work that you can do. The second is producing something from your work so you can contribute in some way to your family or the community and feel good about your contribution. The third is being free from debt (how wonderful would that be?!) and the fourth is being free from blame or fault, not doing work for status or because of some other external reason but rather because it comes from the heart. The third is growth and awareness which is about bringing awareness to your work so you can use it as an opportunity to grow. The fourth is simplicity which has become a movement hasn't it? You may know people who quit their job in advertising to start a nursery or become a musician. The fifth aspect is service. We can frame our work as service no matter what what we do. We can focus on giving service to those with whom we interact every day, our coworkers, employees, managers, clients, readers, customers, etc. Keeping service in mind can transform our work.
Right Effort - This is about putting effort into spiritual study. No matter how many teachings we attend, how many books we read, how much knowledge we have, we will not become enlightened unless we put effort in and practice! There are four types of effort. The first is to abandon what is not skillful (i.e. attachment, anger). The second is to sustain the cessation of what you have abandoned. It wouldn't do a lot of good to stop and then start again, eh? The third is to cultivate that which is skillful such as love, compassion and wisdom, and the fourth is to maintain that which you have cultivated.
Right Mindfulness - This is about seeing clearly without judging or trying to change what is. It is about being fully aware, being really present in the moment with all our senses. It is then about reacting to that what we see with our awareness in a positive way.
Right Concentration - This has two parts. The first is about quieting the mind, to slow down and calm ourselves so we can begin. The second part is to focus the mind into single pointed concentration. This is the vehicle to understanding.
Sometimes a simple reminder can bring me back to a skillful mindset. I find it hard to get through the mountains of email I receive but it's such a nice surprise to get a weekly Buddhist Quote. They tend to pull me back to a positive attitude. Shambala Publications has a variety of weekly quotes to which you can subscribe, His Holiness the Dalia Lama, Pema Chodron, Chogyam Trungpa...check them out here. Another thing I used to do and have recently just begun again is to find a book of quotes or sayings and read one every morning, perhaps as you sit down for breakfast. An old housemate Sam and I used to do this. We had a book of Dalai Lama Quotes and another from the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Reading a short statement gave a focus for the day. I had forgotten about the practice until Sam sent me this book in the mail recently. Much better than watching the news or checking facebook messages over breakkie!
Practice: This week let's look at Right Livelihood. Examine how you can infuse service into your work life. Are there moments when you can practice mindfulness? Meditation? Compassion and Care? Restraint? See if you can transform your experience at work by looking at it as an opportunity to practice patience, love, kindness, non-attachment, etc. Maybe if I was focused on others I wouldn't be focused on the afternoon tea and treats quite so much? Let's see.....
Have a great week!
Metta,
Dharma Mama
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