Sunday, July 31, 2011

Unselfish Joy!

Unselfish Joy! How to Rejoice in Other's Success:

Mutual Joy (Muditā) is developed by seeing that:
If only happy at one's own success, such egoistic Joy is rare and limited!
If happy at all other's success also, this Joy is more frequent & even infinite!

By observing that:
It starts with basic sympathy, develops into acceptance, genuine approval,
& appreciation. It culminates in rejoicing altruistic gladness by directing
mind
to initiation, much cultivation and boundless expansion of Mutual Joy!

By knowing that:
Mutual Joy is the proximate cause of sweet, fully satisfied contentment!
Lack of mutual joy is therefore the proximate cause of discontentment!
Mutual Joy instantly eliminates acidic jealousy, grudge and green envy!
Mutual Joy is an infinite, truly divine, elevating and sublime mental state!
Mutual Joy is 1 of the 4 mental states of the Brahma-devas (Brahmavihāra)

The Blessed Buddha pointed out:
If it were impossible to cultivate this Good, I would not tell you to do so!

Buddhaghosa:
See how this worthy being is very Happy!
How fine! How excellent! How sweet!



Let there be Happiness. Let there be open Freedom.
Let there be Peace. Let there be Bliss from cultivating this.
Let there be Understanding of this mental state of Mutual Joy!



Cultivation of Mutual Joy is the specific medicine against Envy & Jealousy:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Mutual_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/V/Rejoicing_Joy.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Infinitely_Joyous_Consciousness.htm

Muditā: The Buddha's Teaching on Unselfish Joy: BPS Wheel Publication No. 170
4 essays by Nyanaponika Thera, Natasha Jackson, C.F. Knight, and L.R. Oates
http://what-buddha-said.net/library/Wheels/wh170.pdf

Have a nice & noble day!


Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Mutually Rejoicing Joy!

Envy and Jealousy!

Envy and Jealousy are a Mix of Greed & Hate!


How to cure these agonizing mental states of Envy & Jealousy:



1: Review the Dangers in Envy and Jealousy like this:
This Acid is eating up my mind from within! All joy & happiness is destroyed!




2: Know that Envy arises because one craves for something, that others have!

The aversion towards these persons arises due to greed for a desired object.
Wanting=greed is craving towards an object, while aversion=hate is craving
away
from an object. All forms of Craving cause Suffering! Know that Envy
and
Jealousy is the proximate cause of Discontent and Dissatisfaction!


3: Envy is cured by rejoicing in others' success = Mutual Joy! (Mudita) like:

How good that this being, having done good in the past, now earns the well
deserved
fruit!!! Thus one substitutes a disadvantageous mental state with
an
advantageous mental state. Know that this subtle Mutual Joy! (
Mudita) is
the
proximate cause of Contentment! Contentment is the highest Treasure...



4: Begin and Cultivate meditation on
Infinite Mutual Joy:
Sit down a silent & empty place with eyes closed and beam from the heart:
May I be successful, rich, beautiful, famous, intelligent, popular & praised!
May my friends be successful, rich, beautiful, famous, intelligent, & praised!
May my enemies be successful, rich, beautiful, famous, intelligent, & praised!
May all in this village be successful, beautiful, famous, intelligent, & praised!
May all in this country be successful, rich, beautiful, intelligent, & praised!
May all on this earth be successful, rich, beautiful, intelligent, and praised!
May all in this galaxy be successful, rich, beautiful, intelligent, and praised!
May all in the universe be successful, rich, beautiful, intelligent, and praised!
Beam-out this tender sympathy from the heart first out in front, the right,
left, back, above as below, thereby gradually expanding beyond the limitations
of space and into the infinitude! When a cause is infinite, so will be the effect!



5: Keep on doing that 15-45 min every day. Note the difference in day joy!

May all beings rejoice in Mutual Joy celebrating all beings success & progress!

The Blessed Buddha said
One should not despise any giving.
One should not envy others.
One who envies others cannot attain absorption
and
will never enter any concentrated trance.
Dhammapada 365


Neither nice speech, nor serene behaviour
Makes one accomplished, if one is still
Possessed of envy, miserliness or deceit.
Dhammapada 262


Absorbed in distractions,
Not paying appropriate attention,
Giving up the goal, following after the pleasant,
One comes to envy those, who enjoy right effort!
Dhammapada 209


How to cure envy and jealousy by substitution with the opposite see:
Rejoicing Bliss = Mudita, Infinitely_Joyous_Consciousness, Mutual_Joy,

What_is_Wrong, Safe_Medicine, Rejoicing_Joy, Mudita: Unselfish Joy

Have a nice & noble day!


Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Envy and Jealousy!

Calm and Content!

What is the Cause of Contentment?

The blessed Buddha once said:
Contentment is the Highest Treasure!
Dhammapada 204

Solitude is happiness for one who is content,
Who clearly sees and understands this Dhamma.
Udana 10

What is the proximate cause of contentment?

Mutual joy with others success is the proximate cause of contentment...
Therefore: If one is always gladdened by other's success, one will always be content!
Therefore: If one is never gladdened by other's success, one will always be discontent!
Therefore is contentment caused by an altruistic mental state & not by external richness...
Example: Rich people possessing all the things they ever desired, can still be very discontent!
And vice versa: Poor people not having much, can still be very content and very much smiling!


Contentment even with almost nothing!

More on the Contentment:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/II/Contentment.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Cause_of_Contentment.htm

How to cultivate mutual joy & thus increase contentment:

http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/IV/Mutual_Joy.htm

http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Rejoicing_Bliss_is_Mudita.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Infinitely_Joyous_Consciousness.htm

Have a nice & noble day!


Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Calm and Content!

Friday, July 29, 2011

Outstanding Faith!

How is the Ability of Faith Outstanding?



With the development of the Ability of Faith, Enthusiasm arises.
With the elimination of all Skeptical Doubt, Enthusiasm also arises,
With
the fading of the frustration inherent in all Skeptical Doubt,
enthusiasm arises, with the eradication of all mental obstructions
linked with wrong view, enthusiasm arises, with the removal of the
gross mental obstructions, enthusiasm arises, with the dying out
of subtle mental obstructions, enthusiasm arises, with extinction
of all mental obstructions, enthusiasm arises as a Thunderbolt!!!
When via this hilarious and energetic Enthusiasm, gladness arises,
then
the Ability of Faith is outstanding as Faith due to Gladness...
When through gladness, happiness arises, then the Ability of Faith
is
outstanding as Faith due to Happiness...When through happiness,
tranquillity emerges, then the Ability of Faith is outstanding due to
calmed & stilled Tranquillity... When tranquil, sweet pleasure arises,
then the Faith Ability is quite outstanding as Faith due to Pleasure...
When through pleasure illumination arises, then the Ability of Faith
is
outstanding as Faith due to Illumination... When through revealing
illumination a sense of urgency arises, then this single Faith Ability
is outstanding as Faith due to the acute and vivid Sense of Urgency...
When sensing urgency one concentrates the mind, then this Ability of
Faith
is outstanding as Faith due to Concentration... When one now
thoroughly trains the mind thus concentrated, then this Ability of
Faith is outstanding as Faith due to Effort. When one looks on with
complete
equanimity at mind thus wielded into solid focus, then the
Faith Ability is outstanding as Faith due to Equanimity. When as a
result of equanimity, mind is liberated from many kinds of mental
obstructions
, then the Faith Ability is outstanding as Faith due to
Liberation. When mind is all liberated, this mentally unified state
come
to have a single function and taste, then the Faith Ability is
outstanding as Faith due to development of single function & taste!
When mind is being cultivated and refined, it therefore turns away
to
what is superior, namely towards Nibbāna, then the Faith Ability
is outstanding as Faith due to Turning Away. Then, because of mind
remains
turned away, one is now possessed of the Path! When one,
as
a consequence, relinquishes both all mental obstructions and all
clusters of clinging, then the Faith Ability is outstanding as Faith
due to Relinquishment. When due to mental release, all the mental
obstructions and the clusters of clinging therefore cease with no
re-arising trace remaining, then the Ability of Faith is outstanding
as Faith due to Ceasing...

For further Faith (Saddhā) please see:
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/The_Buddha_on_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Going_Forth_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Outstanding_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Unwavering_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Analysis_of_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Power_of_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Highest_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Leaping_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Fruitful_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Mutual_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Dual_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Fine_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Rich_Faith.htm
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/III/Lay_Faith.htm

Source: Sāriputta - The General of the Dhamma -
The
Canonical: Path of Discrimination: Patisambhidamagga. IV.
http://www.pariyatti.com/book.cgi?prod_id=133494

Have a nice & noble day!


Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Outstanding Faith!

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Have a nice & noble day!


Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Cure Your Cruelty!

Cruelty, Mercilessness & Revengefulness are diluted Hate:

How to cure these evil derivatives of Cruelty:

1: Review the Danger in Cruelty like this:
This can bring me to a bad destination, the downfall, to pain, even to hell!
This is a path of thorns, an evil way, a dark state, conflict, violence, pain!

2: How does a friend dwell pervading all with his heart endued with pity?
Just as he would feel pity on seeing an unlucky, unfortunate person, so he
pervades
all beings with infinite pity. Therefore first of all he imagines a
poor
man, unlucky, unfortunate, in every way a fit object for pity, ugly,
reduced to utter misery, with hands and feet cut off, sitting in the shelter
for the helpless, with an empty pot in front of him, with maggots oozing
from sores on hands and legs, moaning, infinite pity should be felt for him
in this way: 'This being has been reduced to utter misery! If he just could
be
freed from this misery...' Then later one can arouse the same pity and
compassion
for a neutral person and later for even a wrong-doing person!
This is the complete mastery of pity: Compassion even with the Evil One!



3: All wrong doing is caused by blindness: A real pity for the wrong-doers!

All wrong-doers will thus suffer immensely in the future. How sad for them!

4: Begin and Cultivate meditation on Infinite pity:
Sit down a silent, empty place with closed eyes & beam this from the heart:
May I & all beings be free from cruelty by cultivating awareness of pity.
May I & all beings be free from cruelty by cultivating examination of pity.
May I & all beings be free from cruelty by cultivating energetic pity.
May I & all beings be free from cruelty by cultivating joyous infinite pity.
May I & all beings be free from cruelty by cultivating stilled infinite pity.
May I & all beings be free from cruelty by cultivating concentrated pity.
May I & all beings be free from cruelty by cultivating imperturbable pity.
Beaming first out in front, then right, left, down below and also up above:
May all beings live happily and free from suffering, pain and frustration.
May all beings be free from hate, cruelty, mercilessness & revengefulness!

One who is virtuous and wise
Shines like a blazing fire;
Like a bee collecting nectar
He acquires wealth by harming none!
Digha Nikāya III, 188



May all breathing creatures, all living things,
All beings, every one without exception,
Experience good fortune only!
May they not fall into harm.
Anguttara Nikāya II, 72



Solitude is happiness for one who is content,
Who has heard the Dhamma and clearly sees.
Non-violence is happiness in the world
Harmlessness towards all living beings.
Udana 10

JOY
Oh let us live happily! Freed from all cruelty!
Living even among those, who always flames by hate!
Among those dominated by anger, let us live free from anger!
Dhammapada Illustration 197 Background Story 197

Regarding Pity and Compassion (Karunā) see also:
Detachment and Compassion in Early Buddhism, AN VI.13, SN XLII.8,
AN V.161, Karuna_is_Pity, Endless Pity, Space_Compassion,
What_is_Wrong, Safe_Medicine, Great_Compassion, Compassionate_Pity

Have a nice & noble day!


Friendship is the Greatest!
Bhikkhu Samāhita _/\_ ]
http://What-Buddha-Said.net

Cure Your Cruelty!