Videos from the Theravada Abhidhamma lectures by Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi
Notes from a lecture by DRBU professor Dr. Martin Verhoeven on self-cultivation
The Bodhisattva Practices of Fearlessness and Happiness
Excerpted from a talk given by Doug Powers. Edited for clarity and brevity.
You need a lot of confidence to do cultivation. And you need fearlessness. The first ground of practice for the Bodhisattva is joy and happiness. Bodhisattvas have a great deal of happiness, and they have a great deal of confidence. It does not matter what situation they encounter, they do not regard it to be an obstacle.
Cultivation is not cultivating a dead mind. It is cultivating a totally “alive and aware” mind that isn’t controlled by habits. Active awareness arises, because it is already there, but it’s covered by fear, and all this lacking, and all this ridiculous stuff that’s bogging you down.
So, when that stuff is not bogging you down, what’s behind it is just happiness. This is the natural state. Happiness is the natural state. This kind of happiness, this kind of contentment, this kind of bliss–this is your natural state. You’re just messing it up. So, Bodhisattvas are always enthusiastic, always vigorous, never lazy. They have a lot of courage. They don’t have fear. They are always courageously vigorous. They have freedom from contention. They never fight or argue with anyone. They never cause people to become afflicted.
A 7-day retreat dedicated to the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion
October 20 - 28, 2018
March 23 - 31, 2019
Amidst turmoil, how do we find stability within us? Where do we look?
Can we find a community of good and wise friends to support us?
Where do we find friends who try to help us see ourselves clearly and honestly?
Can we gain the courage to reflect deeply on ourselves and the state of the world?
Come join us for a Guan Yin Retreat where we will practice constant mindfulness of the Bodhisattva of Great Compassion, Guan Yin, who responds to the suffering of living beings in the world. She is the embodiment of great compassion, and ultimately is found within our own hearts and minds. We simply have to remember to listen to that place within ourselves.
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