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General Buddhism => General Buddhism => Topic started by: iloveds on June 15, 2011, 10:53:02 PM
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Obstacles arise in the mind that split you from your practice, distractions that have a way of making you not keep up with your daily sadhanna, makes you think there is always tomorrow, makes your mind feel sleepy, dull, and in slow mode.
Feel free to add to this list... I'm sure we are or will experience both good and bad signs of practice.
Share it out people!
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You don't have to say the last word in every argument you have with your spouse
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You bite your tongue when all you want to do is to just explain (justify?) why it is NOT your fault.
You accept that not all negativity that comes to you is not worth the anger or frustration and that you need to just understand it is happening for a reason and not say "why me?"
You get positive compliments from your friends that you seem different and less angersome or negative.
You can actually accept criticism and not be defensive or argumentative.
You learn to say sorry without having to be asked or pointed out that you have hurt someone.
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As you get older your mind doesn't become stiff with its outlook on life. I seen some bitter people who just plain make getting old something I don't look forward too. More and more though I am thinking about my death. People are dropping off in my family from my parents generations. You know the aunties and uncles who as a kid you looked at as always being there. Now with the fate that awaits all of us I do feel my time is close also.
I'm sure after a lifetime of feeding the ego, that its not a good way to go.
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You start to look at things from the other person point of view. And start to not think about "me, me, me..." Even when we ourselves are right, we will use many ways to help the person to understand better, we do not give up, complain or get angry. Always practice with the 8 verses of thought transformation.
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Your purpose in life is greater than for yourself.
People around you are in a better emotional and mental state because you cared.
You are clear that everything you do has responsibility and affects other people, and even extends to affecting all living beings.
You can put aside your self-indulging mind and think bigger.
Life is not always cherry blossom trees and a walk in the park; yet you do not complain, both verbally and in your mind.
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Life is not always cherry blossom trees and a walk in the park; yet you do not complain, both verbally and in your mind.
I like this "not complaining both verbally and in your mind... nice way of putting it. Even internally has effect.
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what comes out our mouths, how we walk, talk, how we carry our bodies is a matter of control, and sends messages out to the whole world what we view ourselves to be like. So internally will always be reflected externally, unless we have control over these elements.
empty cans make much noise.
slow but sure wins the race.
chinese horoscopes come to mind for some reason?
met some fine roosters who funnily enough, had the mannerisms of that animal.
you know your practicing when your outside reflects the changes on the inside.
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To all who are practising the dharma...........
You know you are practising the dharma
When you offer your guru with clean samaya
You know you are practising the dharma
When diligently you do your daily sadhanna
You know you are practising the dharma
When you offer the victory to others
You know you are practising the dharma
When you act in kindness to someone who has hurt your mama
You know you are practising the dharma
When we stop blaming the others
You know you are practising the dharma
When is easier to be close to people you used to push farther
You know you are practising the dharma
When you are thinking more of how to benefit the others
You know you are practising the dharma
When you make no fuss in your own drama
You know you are practising the dharma
When it is easier for you to say “sorry” to others
You know you are practising the dharma
When all in all you really want to learn the dharma
Triesa
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When your mind and heart are in sync with no more dialogue about what you want, need, like or dislike, etc. It is not about you anymore. And it is perfectly ok. Because you are not here for you. You are here for others.
When we undertake the responsibility and care to relieve the suffering of others, we will also relieve our own suffering as well.
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To all who are practising the dharma...........
You know you are practising the dharma
When you offer your guru with clean samaya
You know you are practising the dharma
When diligently you do your daily sadhanna
You know you are practising the dharma
When you offer the victory to others
You know you are practising the dharma
When you act in kindness to someone who has hurt your mama
You know you are practising the dharma
When we stop blaming the others
You know you are practising the dharma
When is easier to be close to people you used to push farther
You know you are practising the dharma
When you are thinking more of how to benefit the others
You know you are practising the dharma
When you make no fuss in your own drama
You know you are practising the dharma
When it is easier for you to say “sorry” to others
You know you are practising the dharma
When all in all you really want to learn the dharma
Triesa
Very beautiful Triesa! Thank you. You have truly put in poetry the summary of who we can be when we practice Dharma.
Your poem makes anger seem so futile. It makes what we feel about ourselves so small and insignificant.
Practicing the Dharma has made me look at things rather differently. Things that would have made me lose it before, now makes me think how I can help. People who drive me up the wall before, are now my teachers to nurture my compassion.
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When you reduce the amount of time chasing your own pursuits and seek out using your time to do more to benefit others. Friday night after work drinks doesn't bring any relief for a week of samsaric stress. Yet helping feed the poor makes you even more tired but feeling satisfied and worthwhile.
\\ at least that hows it felt just last weekend, inspired by my friends charity drive I decided to go see what takes up most of his time nowadays. He used to be part of the furniture at my local bar, not anymore... BTW He quit his job to go at this fulltime.
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Practicing the Dharma has made me look at things rather differently. Things that would have made me lose it before, now makes me think how I can help. People who drive me up the wall before, are now my teachers to nurture my compassion.
Diamond girl... I love what you have summed up here. At the end of the day it is how we perceive and react to our daily "challenges/obstacles" that makes up the sum of our existence here in this lifetime.
We are so preoccupied with trying to justify or defend ME that we fail to see everyone else around us. That is truly what it means to "focus out" and that to me is practicing Dharma. And gosh, how lucky if we are able to realise this or have a Guru to point this out to us and act upon it and NOT continue in a path of meaningless pursuits that goes on and on and on to no end...
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To all who are practising the dharma...........
You know you are practising the dharma
When you offer your guru with clean samaya
You know you are practising the dharma
When diligently you do your daily sadhanna
You know you are practising the dharma
When you offer the victory to others
You know you are practising the dharma
When you act in kindness to someone who has hurt your mama
You know you are practising the dharma
When we stop blaming the others
You know you are practising the dharma
When is easier to be close to people you used to push farther
You know you are practising the dharma
When you are thinking more of how to benefit the others
You know you are practising the dharma
When you make no fuss in your own drama
You know you are practising the dharma
When it is easier for you to say “sorry” to others
You know you are practising the dharma
When all in all you really want to learn the dharma
Triesa
What a lovely poem, like a prayer :) Thank you triesa... and so I add to you list... my reminder and prayer for today...
You know you are practising Dharma
When everyone says you should not, but you do it anyway
You know you are practising Dharma
When each time you fail, you get up again and try again
You know you are practising Dharma
When someone slaps you, you give the other cheek
You know you are practising Dharma
When someone has hurt you, but you still love and forgive them
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i'd have to say
... learning to let go / or just plain letting go.
This could be to an attachment, to a person alive or dead, to a situation you wish to be in but don't have the karma to receive, to oneself, ones pleasures so that others benefit.
Isn't it funny how much the "I" plays out in our day to day lives. Driving, the most revealing of all, watch how those around us handle their vehicle and you can see just how much the "I" show's its ugly face. Walk the shops and see the "I" buying things for the self!
Seeking a permanency in the pursuits of happiness (latest gadgets, designer clothes, designer girlfriend or boyfriend, likes dislikes)
Can we be in all this (samsara) but not be stuck in it that our entire being becomes focused on portraying the outward appearance of our internal egos.
Funny but that's what we all are taught growing up the world over. Its soo fake!
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I would like to add the following:
1. You know you are practicing Dharma when the obstacles that you encounter are seen merely as that and it will in no way detract you from your ultimate goal and practice.
2. You know you are practicing Dharma when you recognise and in turn realise with clarity the suffering and unhappiness that surrounds you minus the veils of samsara.
3. You know you are practicing Dharma when you catch yourself being angry and the time between realising the emotion and stopping it becomes less to a point where the anger just does not materialize!
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You know you are practicing dharma when
1) Less anger ,
2) tolerance level increased,
3) forgive and let go,
4) less attachment to worldly materials,
5) putting dharma as priority
6) alway practice generosity
7) reduce self cherishing mind
8) sincere and authentic towards dharma practice
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You Know You Are Practicing Dharma When....
1) You can't give up because you care more for how it will affect others.
2) Finding less time to feel sorry for oneself and instead finding more time to do more to make up for mistakes or ensure that it will never get to that stage.
3) Finding genuine joy in giving and helping others.
4) Not retaliating negatively when someone accuse, scold or hurt us.
5) Finding ways to repay the kindness of our Guru and parents.
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You know you are practising Dharma when you
- observe your reactions to situations to check your motivation
- understand that engaging in Dharma action/ motion does not necessarily equates to practising Dharma
I try to remember that always, good practise for myself ;)
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You know you are practicing Dharma when....
1. Your friends start commenting on how you seem different in a good way...
2. When your family and people close to you notice a change in you for the better...
3. Your mind is more focussed and what would normally stress/anger/frustrate you. is a lot easier to accept... The "problem" has not changed but your perception of the "problem" has!
4. When your Lama seems "closer" to you purely because you have created the merits for your Lama to "help" you.
At the end of the day, one should really be able to continue to add to this "list" as it is a constant journey of discovery and transformation!!
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When you stop saying "NO"....
When you stop saying "YES"...
When you stop thinking "ME"...
When you stop taking for "FREE"...
When you want to be "FREE"...
When you want to "SUCCEED"...
When you stop saying "TIME IS RIGHT...TOMORROW... LATER... ANOTHER TIME"
When you start saying "TIME IS RIGHT...TODAY... NOW... ANOTHER OTHER"
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I love this topic and i like Triesa poem........and many of them. For example : (1) Practicing Dharma has made me look at things rather differently .(2) Is made me face my daily challenges and obstacles. (3) I will thinking more of how to benefit the others. Everytime i log in here i can learn more and more Dharma knowledge from other....thank you ;D
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You know you are practicing dharma when
your family, loved ones and friends see a change in you
you remain calm and focus when faced with a difficult situation
you remain more patient and show less anger
you work hard for the sake of others and not oneself
you learn to forgive and not to hold on to grudges to those who hurt or abused you
you learn to let go of attachment to worldly possessions
you contemplate more and more on impermanence
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You know you are practicing dharma when
Your action always is for benefiting others. When your motivation is such, you always stay alert and focus on every thought, move and speech.
Yourself will always be secondary and you are happy to see people happy but frm dharmic point of view.
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You know you're practising dharma when:
1) You let go of your negative feelings faster.
2) You are more caring.
3) You are less self absorbed.
4) You have less projections.
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I love triesa's poem! It's very meaningful, it reminds of the 8 verses of mind transformation. If we can truly practice all the lines triesa has just mentioned, we are indeed practicing dharma. Often we are distracted by our own indulgence, pursuits in career, attachment etc and make us stop practicing dharma or become lazy, always think there's tomorrow, "me" is more important while other matters is not. When we have less attachment desire, fear and insecurities, then we have more capacity to help others. To speak is always easier than to take action, we have to conquer the fear inside us, embrace dharma and realize how great dharma is, and how beneficial dharma is, after we have this realization, then we start practice dharma in daily life.
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Isn't it wonderful to live life without being enslaved to attachments, desire, fear, insecurities? This alone will bring so much more happiness, lightness.. And the natural outcome is as you've stated,..we will have more capacity to help others. I have still a long away to rid off the 3 poisons! :(
I've had debates with friends who are not on the path who claims to live their lives with NO FEAR, NO INSECURITIES, they do whatever they want and whenever they want, and have no fear of death. There is a huge difference as the natural outcome without the element of dharma will create self indulgence thus, no capacity to help others. Forgive me if I am over generalizing. There are many people with very good hearts who are not religious nor have knowledge of the buddha dharma yet, they are spiritual in their own rights.
How much we believe in karma and rebirths directly affects how we practice the dharma ..or not practicing the dharma. If we do not believe in karma and how it will affect our own next rebirth, then there's no stopping us from causing havoc to ourselves, to others, to the environment. We do not need to have a sense of responsibility to mother earth nor the inhabitants who lives in it. It's the "who cares, I don't need to clean up the mess" mentality.
The common answer or message from everyone's post in regards to "you know your practicing dharma when.." is becoming a better version of ourselves thus, causing less harm, and begin to be beneficial.
I love Triesa's poem and every one's thoughts of what practicing dharma means.
Thank you everyone. Much to reflect on
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When you can pause and think before reacting out of anger.
You can look at things in different perceptives rather get stuck in one view.
You are more generous and able to give more
You become selfless and always lend helping hand
You are able to less argumentative
You quarrel less with your partners or spouses
You look for less faults in others and instead look inward to see how you can change to make things better
You become less
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This is a good one to reflect on.
You know you are practicing Dharma when:
(i) your thoughts stop focussing on things you like and avoiding things you don't;
(ii) when your tolerance for difficult situations and irritating people are greatly enhanced;
(iii) when you stop getting angry and upset when things don't go your way;
(iv) when you begin to take responsibility for everything that is going on around you good and bad;
(v) when karma is a foremost in your mind;
(vi) when you stop eating meat because you do not wish the life of an animal to be taken for your sake;
(vii) when you because less aware of your own emotions;
(viii) when the idea of death becomes less daunting;
(ix) when start to get along better with everyone around you especially your parents;
(x) when the basis of your happiness shifts away from yourself to your Lama.
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You know you are practicing dharma when:
- something bad happens to you or someone else, you call it "purification" (although this is technically incorrect)
- you make yourself smile even when you don't really feel like it because you want to let people feel at ease
- you see stray dogs and cats, you want to chant mantras at them
- you walk past a japanese restaurant and reminisce about how you used to love eating sashimi, and smile because you are now a vegetarian and lovin' it
- when you don't feel peeved when people try to coax you back into eating meat, but instead feel sorry for them
- you whisper "om ara pasanadhi" into a baby's ear instead of lullabies
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When we are aware of our anger and be able to control ourselves before screaming at people. We will be calm to listen with open heart with what others have to say, analyse then only we respond to them. And argument will become a discussion, we don't just shout because we want to be heard, we listen then we talk.
People that we are angry with, we forgive them and we let go. We move on with our lives instead of questioning 'why, why, why'. We are willing to suffer for others.
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You know you are practicing Dharma when
you think about other and not focus on urself like the past
you keep ur promise and deliver it
you act as what u said, no more just nice word
you follow guru instructions without reluctant
you love and care other is without agenda
you feel happy at the end of each day