Daily Dhamma

“Check In” to your body and your mind.

What is your body telling you it needs right now? A rest, a walk, a stretch, a glance away from the computer screen, a deep breath.

What is your mind’s intention right now? What is its state? Agitated, stressed, lethargic, bored, overstimulated, calm, joyful, content?

What is your mind in need of right now? A moment of peace, a change in perspective, a change of pace?

Every so often for today, just check in to yourself, and who knows it may be just as valuable (if not interesting) as the other places you’ve been ‘checking into’.

For today – and for the rest of my life – I will resolve to do good by upholding the five precepts. I will try to be compassionate to all living beings and respect the preciousness of their life; I will try to share generously with others and respect their possessions; I will try to be faithful and live with simple sensual pleasures; I will try to be a lover of truth and honesty; I will try to practice purification of my mind.

May the power from the truth of this affirmation help you in your dhamma practice.

For today – and for the rest of my life – I will refrain from doing any evil by upholding the five precepts. I will try to not harm any living beings; I will try to not take what is not given to me; I will try to avoid sexual misconduct and sensual abuse; I will try to refrain from being deceitful; I will try to avoid drugs and intoxicants.

May the power from the truth of this affirmation help you in your dhamma practice.

“When someone calls you a dog, check your bottom if you have a tail. If you don’t have it, then you’re not a dog.”

- Ajahn Chah

So at times when someone else criticises us, we tend to take the words too personally. Sometimes, we even beat ourselves. We believe in the critics. But, sometimes the critics came out of ignorance and anger, and at times they are untrue. Therefore, whenever we hear a comment about us, analyse the validity/truth of it. If it’s not true, then don’t let it affect you. Critics are important for our growth – so listen to it with an open heart and let go of those that are untrue.

“…Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.”

- Pema Chodron

“Life is ever changing. It is necessary to gain the insight that life is impermanent.”

From “Buddhism for Sheep”, Illustrated by Chris Riddell.

“If in our daily lives we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will benefit from it. If we really know how to live, what better way to start a day than a smile. Our smile affirms our awareness and determination to live in peace and joy. The source of a true smile is an awakened mind.”
 
Every once in a while we lose our smile. What then? 

I have lost my smile,
but don’t worry.
The dandelion has it. 

If you have lost your smile and yet are still capable of seeing that a dandelion is keeping it for you, the situation is not too bad. You still have enough mindfulness to see that the smile is there.
In fact, everything around you is keeping your smile for you. You don’t need to feel isolated. You only have to open yourself to the support that is all around you, and in you. Like the friend who saw that her smile was being kept by the dandelion, you can breathe in awareness, and your smile will return.”

- From “Peace is every step” by Thich Nhat Hanh.

Give what you can to charities to help the less fortunate sentient beings amongst us.

One of the earliest “things” that attracted me to the simple teachings of Buddhism was a statement in a book I read – “Do good. If you can’t do good, then do no harm”. We can perform good deeds in many ways, and they are truly good if the intention behind them is good too.
When most of us look at our lives and at those around us, we will no doubt realise that we are far better off than those in famine-stricken, war-ravaged or impoverished regions of the world.

For those of us that are currently working, let us commit to donate 0.5% of our yearly salary towards a worthy cause of our choice. For those that are still studying and have no income of their own as yet, let us commit to reduce one spending habit that we may have, perhaps forgo that extra coffee or pair of shoes we don’t really need and donate the money we’ve saved. 

And when we donate, let us make sure we do it with the right intention. The Buddha mentions the six factors that exemplify the ideal gift as such:

“The donor, before giving, is glad; while giving, his/her mind is inspired; and after giving, is gratified. These are the three factors of the donor…

“The recipients are free of passion or are practicing for the subduing of passion; free of aversion or practicing for the subduing of aversion; and free of delusion or practicing for the subduing of delusion. These are the three factors of the recipients.”