In her book, The Purpose of Life, Jacqui James, co-founder of the House of Inner Tranquillity in the UK, asks the question, 'What do I do to bring about a higher level of awareness?' Jacqui suggests consciously noting our surroundings when entering a room, e.g. are there any plants, is the floor clean or dirty?'

'Having paid attention to the environment around you and got yourself into the present, the next step is to work your way inwards into yourself and focus on what is happening inside you. Is your body tense or relaxed? Is your mind quiet or are there many thoughts buzzing around? Are you still caught up with worries about things that happened during the day? If so, be clearly conscious that the hindrance of worry is present. Be conscious that when you are noting that your body is tense, at that moment all there is in your world is tension. There is no worry, no buzzing thoughts. Be conscious that when you are aware of the worry, the body tension has finished. It has died, and a new moment has been born which is called 'worry'. This is being conscious of the rise and fall of things. It is this continual awareness of the rise and fall of things, which wears down craving and hatred.

If you look at a friend's floor and are aware that it is dirty, and then you are conscious of the mind spinning off and starting to worry about your dirty kitchen floor and how you have been meaning to clean it for days but just have not been able to get round to it - be aware that you are doing the act of worry as your way of trying to cover up the unpleasant feeling that arose when your eye came into contact with a certain external object, that object being the dirty floor.

Being fully conscious of the meeting point between data coming in through the senses and what you choose to do with that data is where vipassana meditation really lives. You can respond to the data with hatred or you can respond with craving. In either case you choose to live in a hell world. Or you can remain equanimous, letting the data float in and then out, past your watching, alert attention - not grabbing it, not trying to push it away, not being disturbed by it whether it is pleasant or unpleasant. If you can manage this equanimous approach you will find you suddenly are living in a heaven world.'

“Here alone is purity,” they say,
denying that there is purification in other teachings.
Speaking of the beauty
in that which they depend on,
each one is dogmatic about
their own idiosyncratic interpretation.

Desiring debate, they plunge into an assembly,
where each takes the other as a fool.
Relying on others they state their contention,
desiring praise while claiming to be skilled.

Addicted to debating in the midst of the assembly,
their need for praise makes them nervous.
But when they’re repudiated they get embarrassed;
upset at criticism, they find fault in others.

If their doctrine is said to be weak,
and judges declare it repudiated,
the loser weeps and wails,
moaning, “They beat me.”

When these arguments come up among ascetics,
they get excited or dejected.
Seeing this, refrain from contention,
for the only purpose is praise and profit.

But if, having declared their doctrine,
they are praised there in the midst of the assembly,
they laugh and gloat because of it,
having got what they wanted.

Their pride is their downfall,
yet they speak from conceit and arrogance.
Seeing this, one ought not get into arguments,
for those who are skilled say this is no way to purity.

As a warrior, after feasting on royal food,
goes roaring, looking for someone to fight—
go off and find an opponent, Sūra,
for here, as before, there is no-one to fight.

When someone argues about a view they’ve adopted,
saying, “This is the only truth,”
say to them, “Here you’ll have no adversary
when a dispute has come up.”

There are those who live far from the crowd,
not countering views with view.
Who is there to argue with you, Pasūra,
among those who grasp nothing here as the highest?

And so you come along speculating,
thinking up theories in your mind.
Now that you’ve challenged
someone who is cleansed,
you’ll not be able to respond.

• Pasūra Sutta: With Pasūra

Idk how far I am in on existence, but I want women still. I’m 22 although that isn’t the best reference because genetics -> hormones (to urge on) are not always black and white.

To urge on what exactly? My willful desire to submit a woman sexually.

I see beautiful university women all day everyday. It’s like I want one to take for myself, but at the same time I retract. Something keeps stopping me.

It’s because there are men out there who are more man than me. I dont want my girl to see them. I don’t want her to exist around them. And I want to be more like them physically. I want to be mature in my body all the way like others.

It makes me feel bad. I also get confused why there are women who are not as pretty as others. Why does one attract males more than others naturally the way her body is shaped is proportional compared to the other. 177 attributes to a 177 flaws. I’ve seen it truly. There’s no denying it. I’ve seen it so much. It makes me want to rip my eyes out.

I feel so plain, and average, maybe above average but not the exotic male shape like the elite athlete. I am a step below. Always to be out matched sexually?

How could I ever date?

Consumer Culture & Buddhism

How much does American Business make in the Christmas season?

"According to Forbes, retailers in America can expect to make $1trillion from [JUST] Christmas sales, accounting for one quarter of their yearly profits."

Consumer Culture is anti Buddhist and counter to the dhamma because commercial consumer culure is designed to create wants and desires...*

... and he path to Buddhist liberation is a path of reducing wants and desires and cutting attachments, hinderances and fetters.

• and this has nothing to do with Marxism.

Recently I've been parsing literature on the aforementioned yanas simultaneously.

I know that each yana has it's own nuances, strengths and pitfalls respectively. I'm not trying to arrive at a conclusion regarding which yana is superior, since that frame of reference would be pretty short-sighted.

Rather, I'm trying to determine whether Theravada/Pali canon is falling short in phenomenological elaboration given it's tendencies leaning towards practical and empirical insights over extensive ontological speculations.

I guess, all in all, my question is, is Pali canon evasive about concepts such as Emptiness and Nibbana as compared to the epistemology in Mahayana and Vajrayana or are there clear and direct explanations to these concepts?

PS: forgive my naivete. I'm relatively new at all this and I'm just curious. I am not trying to insinuate anything.

Hello I am looking for a teacher who is familiar with the meditation method of ajahn lee dhammadharo. I know that it is taught in the US in the monasterie of Thanissaro Bhikkhu. So i am located in Europe. In Germany to be preise. Do you know some place in europe where this meditation style is practised ? Thank you for your answers !

I’ve recently came back from a retreat. And back into lay life. I was expecting that I can apply what I learnt into lay life. But I feel like the forces in the worldly environment is just too strong.

I’ve tried making big changes like 8 precepts and meditating 6 hours a day. But I feel like the progress is so minor and inconsistent within lay life. You pretty much have to become a dude who says no to most social functions and live breath buddhism.

It feels like you could learn more about buddhism, have a calmer mind or be more mindful. But if you really want to improve deep samadhi or get real deep insights lay life will just curb stomp that.

Like if you just want Buddhism to make your life smooth that’s doable as a lay person. But if you want actual steady progress towards enlightenment monk hood just makes it so much easier.

I know there are lay people with attainments in Buddha’s time but they were the minority and probably had practiced in past lives. I truly believe its extremely difficult to make progress as a lay.

I mean I’ll give it another shot, but clearly a lot of sacrifices are needed to walk this path.

I would like to fully embrace Theravada and leave Mahayana completely behind. However, there are two Pure Land related practices that have helped me immensely and that I find extremely hard to just abandon:

1. Chanting the name of Guanyin (Avalokitesvara) Bodhisattva ('Namo Guan Shi Yin Pusa').

2. Chanting the name of Amitabha Buddha ('Namo Amituofo' or 'Namu Amida Butsu').

I usually practice the first (Guanyin) when I am in acute distress or pain and the second one (Amitabha) when I am preparing for potentially stressful situations.

Both forms of chanting help me to calm my mind, alleviate headaches, sleep more peacefully. On two occasions I even witnessed blissful experiences before drifting into sleep (practically the opposite of night terrors).

Now, I know that there are no celestial Bodhisattvas or Pure Land Buddhas in Theravada cosmology. I also understand that attaining the fruit of Stream-entry is the way to prevent rebirth in the unwholesome realms and eventually leave samsara.

I was just wondering if I could at least continue with chanting Guanyin's name when in distress or if that would already go against the Dhamma.

Thank you for reading. Be well!

Hi, I'm reading the book Without and Within by Ajahn Jayasaro and I have a question about this excerpt. Does this mean that getting enlightened is so rare? Or does the author mean Buddha here as someone like Lord Gautama, an extremely influencial awakened buddhist leader?

I hope it's not the first option.

Also, I might ask more noob questions here as I read, I hope you don't mind 🙏 Thanks!

It's so helpful. My mirror neurons can imagine the peace you have by abandoning ignorance. So beautiful.

I'm asking to practitioners that have experienced such things as

1. Given up gross identities. Your mind no longer wander in a fixed point of view (I am a musician, so I must feel/do X, I am a man, so I should think/do X)

There's still a tendency for a new identity to be born, but you can see it before it takes form and discard it.
2) No doubt at all about the Dhamma truths. Just discrepancies regarding pedagogy sometimes.
3) "Rites and rituals" is the most difficult fetter to assess, especially if you've never been religious (in the traditional sense). Maybe I do have rituals and magical thinking when I drink a tea at certain times, or when I think I'm going to have good luck in X because Z happened. But it is very sparse and mild, I think.

For purpose of studying Pali Canon and Abhidhamma.

Theravada is Buddhavada.

Samahito yathabhutam pajanati passati. - One who has developed right concentration, properly understands reality as it is. [The Essence of Wisdom | Vipassana Research Institute ]

Theravada is a way to pursue reality.

This is how all the seeing, hearing, smelling, tastes, feeling and thinking of the dhammanuvatti becomes ‘spontaneous’. Free. Unbound. Not colored by personal premises, hypotheses, approval and disapproval, likes and dislikes. So the dhammanuvatti ‘sees and knows’ reality as it really is and not as he wants reality to be. Yatha bhuta nana dassana. [Dhamma is Spontaneous | Buddho.org ]

Dear friends! We are delighted to announce that the book by Venerable Rakwane Gnanaseeha, "Bhāvanā — The Art of Mind," has been published! This book is a gift of Dhamma, and you can download it for free from the monastery’s website in PDF and EPUB formats, available in both Russian and English. Thanks to donations, a small print run was also published in Sri Lanka. Printed copies are available at the monastery. Venerable Rakwane Gnanaseeha is a Buddhist monk in the Theravada tradition and the abbot of the Chittaviveka forest monastery. He took monastic vows in 2003 in Sri Lanka. This book is a collection of his public lectures and personal conversations about the Dhamma. Here, the reader will find an in-depth exposition of the Buddhist practice of vipassana, including explanations of the meanings of some Pali terms such as anicca, sankhāra, kāma, saḷāyatana, aṭṭhārasa dhātuyo, yoniso manasikāra, and others. The book aims to help the reader deepen their understanding, as well as inspire practice and further study of the Buddha's teachings. This work is a gift of Dhamma and is intended for free distribution for the benefit of all living beings.

https://samatha-vipassana.com/en/books/

May I cultivate Equanimity to accept what can't be changed [Upekkha],

May I cultivate Energy and Intention to change what can be changed [Viriya and Sankappa],

May I cultivate Wisdom to discern the Skillful and the Unskillful [Pañña].

Thanks for the space /\

I don't know how many people here in this sub know about this but I didn't find a single search result when I looked up Hakamaya or Critical or Matsumoto.

#What is Critical Buddhism?

It's a movement in Japan from the late 80s and onwards that turns around and examines what exactly is Real Buddhism. What exactly is the teaching of the Shakyamuni. Two important Soto (School of Japanese Zen-Mahayana) Masters, Hakayama and Matsumoto launched a tirade in the eighties against the corrupt state of Buddhism in Japan and the World.

Their simple statement is that True, Original, Shakyamuni Buddhism is what is directly related to the teachings of Pratityasamutpada, Anitya, Dukkha, Anatma and Idampratyayata. They argue very strongly (and convincingly) that these doctrines are what is the absolute truth of Buddhism and anything and everything that doesn't agree with these should be discarded as Un-Buddhist or Anti-Buddhist.

This means that things like Tathagatagarbha, Buddha Nature, Rituals, Yogachara, Mind-Consciousness Reality etc. should not be considered Buddhism. Their theory is that post-Ashoka, Original Buddhism was heavily infiltrated with Brahminical Ideas which gave rise cross-cultural theories that spend little to no effort on Dhamma and Vinaya and became overly concerned about levels of consciousness, wordless mind-transmission, reincarnation, bodhisattavism, lamaism etc.

#Whatever Happened to Anatman?

As was the case and is popularly understood, Anatta was the doctrine put forth by Shakyamuni in opposition to the Vedic/Vaisheshika Atman. Hakamaya and Matsumoto say that anything that exists independently and eternally is a 'Dhatu'. The Vedic Atman is also a type of a Dhatu. Critical Buddhists argue that Buddha through his doctrines of Pratityasamutpada, Anicca etc. was directly and categorically attacking the notion of a Dhatu.

Dhatuvada is any philosophical argument that posts the existence of anything that is completely independent, eternal, self-satisfied or with selfhood. These obvious violate Shakyamuni's concepts of Pratityasamutpada, Anitya, Dukkha and Anatman respectively. Critical Buddhists say that Dhatuvada crept into Buddhism from Hinduism in India, Daoism in China and Shintoism in Japan. They argue that any kind of Dhatuvada is ultimately nothing more than Animism.

Saddharmapundarika, Lankavatara, Vimalakirti and other famous Sutras they say, were products of this Buddhist-Animist hybrid. Dhatuvada's entry into the Original Dhamma. They argue that early Chinese translations of Prajnaparamita Sutras dating to early 1st century CE don't have ideas such as Tathagatagarbha and Mind-Realism etc. which would be direct violations of Sutta Pitaka and the Dharma Seals.

#Enter Theravada

Obviously Theravada School stresses Anatman and Pratityasamutpada ceaselessly. So in that background can it be said that Critical Buddhism is arguing for Theravada as the True Buddhism and dismissing Mahayana as Dhatuvada? What elements of Dhatuvada (Atmavada) exist in Theravada? Is 4NT and 8FP the simple and straightforward method to end suffering or is it a path to surreal enlightment?

If the great split at the second council between the Mahasanghikas and the Sthaviravadins was merely over Vinaya differences how can we explain the massive difference in Theravada and Mahayana ritualism, perception of Buddha as human or God, understanding of Good and Evil etc.?

Is it possible that the reason Lanka, Burma and Thai are Theravada-dominant is because there wasn't a strong pre-existing organised religion in these lands before the Ashokan Missions? This in comparision to India, China and Japan where Hinduism, Daoism and Shintoism (all with Animistic Tendencies) were respectively dominant have very telling differences.

#Namo Buddhaya

Many people wish to become a Lord Buddha, one of his disciples, a universal monarch (Cakkavati), King Sakka etc. These are the most widespread aspirations. However, we hear less about the aspiration to be reborn as a Brahma of the holy abodes. The holy abodes or pure abodes (Suddhavasa) are accessible only to Anagami (Non-Returner). There are 5 of these dwellings. The first holy abode is called Aviha and the lifespan is a thousand Kappas (eons). The second holy abode is Atappa and the lifespan is two thousand Kappas. The third holy abode is Sudassa and the lifespan is four thousand Kappas. The fifth holy abode is Sudassi and the lifespan is eight thousand Kappas. The final holy abode is Akanittha, it is the highest and the lifespan is sixteen thousand Kappas.

A person becomes Anagami when he or she has eliminated the 5 lower hindrances which are self-identity view (sakkaya ditthi) skeptical doubt (vicikicca) attachment to mother rites and rituals (silabbata paramasa) sensual desire (kama raga) ill-will (patigha). An anagami has fully understood the dangers of sensual pleasures compared to a Sotāpanna and a Sakadāgāmi. The understanding of an anagami is such that it eliminates anger and sadness. We are sad because of a sensory event and our attachment to Kāma loka. Since anagamis no longer have any trace of attachment to Kama loka (sensual world), they are not sad no matter what event happens in their life. Upon death, if he or she does not become an arahant, he or she will be reborn as Brahma in one of the holy Suddhavasa abodes. It is there that he or she will attain Nibbāna. When you become a Brahma anagami you will never again experience a painful sensation and all your bad Kamma will no longer be able to reach you. A Brahma feels no pain and cannot be killed. He does not have a dense body which is the condition for experiencing any pain. So he can't get sick. They're just getting older.

To be killed and fall ill, one must have a body of flesh and blood, that is the condition. The causes of death and illness are bad Kamma performed in the past such as destroying the life of others. Being killed or falling ill is bad Kamma Vipāka. Kamma Vipāka means the consequences of our intentions. Kamma is the intention(see Nibbedhikasutta) and Vipāka is the result or effect of our intention. For a Kamma Vipāka to appear, there must be an appropriate condition. A fire cannot start without fuel. To fall ill, we must have the causes and conditions. If a person hangs out with addicts and uses drugs regularly, there is a good chance that the person will develop an addiction, become ill, and worse, die of an overdose. Other people have hung out with addicts, and used drugs for many years, but eventually stopped and returned to a normal life. In this case, he had the conditions conducive to an illness, but the causes were not strong enough to give this effect. The causes of Good Kamma were stronger despite the unhealthy environment. We do not know exactly what type of Kamma we have accumulated in this infinite Samsāra, so let us not tempt the devil by putting ourselves in dangerous conditions. The laws of Kamma are not fully accessible to a sentient being only a Lord Buddha can fully understand this subject. See Acinteyyasutta. In short, all this is to say that as an anagami Brahma, we cannot suffer from bad Kamma Vipāka. Suffering occurs more in Kāma loka. When we have transcended Kāma loka forever, nothing related to this world can make us suffer.

A Brahma cannot fall ill, be killed, beaten, harassed, stolen, cheated etc. He doesn't have the conditions to suffer this kind of thing.

In addition, as Anagami Brahma you can help many beings by making them see the Dhamma. It was an anagami Brahma who prompted Venerable Bahiya to go and see Lord Buddha. Two anagamis Brahmas helped a regular Brahma to see the importance of paying homage to Lord Buddha. See Brahmalokasutta. Brahma Sahampati is an anagami and he understood the importance of Dhamma. This is why he encouraged Lord Gautama to teach so that others would understand. An anagami brahma can come and warn an old acquaintance of the consequences that await him. See Turūbrahmasutta. An anagami Brahma can witness several Lord Buddhas in a single lifetime. See Mahāpadānasutta. Sakka king of Tavatiṃsa deities aspires to be reborn as anagami Brahma of the highest holy abode Akanittha, in his last rebirth. See Sakkapañhasutta

This can be an interesting aspiration for those who want to help other beings without spending too much time in Samsāra as a bodhisatta. A bodhisatta spends much more time developing paramis than the length of time an anagami brahma takes to reach Nibbāna. Of course, only a Lord Buddha helps best. He knows the Kamma of each being and how to help them. An anagami brahma can only help a handful of people, compared to a Lord Buddha. However, we must keep in mind that our ultimate goal is the attainment of the Arahant Stage and it is only at this stage that we definitively end suffering. We must strive to achieve it!

I will be visiting the Mahaparinibbhana Site and Jetawan Temple next month. Is it possible to light candles to offer there since the site seems to be in historical park. I really want to offer light and incense apart from meditation and chanting that I will definitely do.

Has anyone visited the place or know if the is any designated spot in these places?

We have this fridge at work with drinks for staff in them. Used to be $1 each. The previous manager made them free. Now that she’s gone, the new manager has made them $1 again. Makes me think about objective morality/kamma. So taking a drink from the fridge was moral under the previous management but now suddenly its objectively immoral (2nd precept) because the new manager subjectively believes we should have to pay $1 each for them? Can’t quite wrap my head around it

Here is a list of different places to practice.

Caveat: Goenka meditation centers cannot be classified as traditional Buddhist. While these centers do teach Goenka's interpretation of Vipassana meditation, which is rooted in the teachings of the Buddha, they operate outside the conventional framework of Buddhism. As such, participants should be aware that the approach and practices at Goenka centers differ significantly from those found in traditional Buddhist contexts.

India

Mahabodhi Temple - This is where the Buddha was enlightened under the Bodhi Tree. If you are looking for somewhere quiet to practice, here is not it (unless you go in May-June which is Summer and extremely hot). However, there are thousands of monks and nuns practicing here and you'll likely be able to connect with the Buddha's energy in a strong way as this is the very place he attained nirvana. Here you can rent a room, stay in a Guesthouse or temple, and go to the Mahabodhi Temple daily and visit the various temples.

Dhamma Cakka - Vipassana - Goenka tradition - This is in Sarnath where the Buddha first gave his teaching on Vipassana meditation. It's a smaller and older centre, but here you'll be able to learn the teachings where he gave the teachings. Also, you can visit the holiest city in India after the course and get blessings from Mother Ganga in Varanasi 40 minutes away.

Dhamma Bodhi - Vipassana - Goenka tradition - a very big centre, and a very powerful one at that. It was where the Buddha first became enlightened so it carries that energy. It's likely that your course will be full of monks and nuns and renunciants which creates a very different atmosphere and energy for meditation. I've had many intense experiences at this centre sitting and serving consecutive courses. It's a long course centre so it's a good option if you're ready to sit a 20, 30, 45 day etc.

Uruvela Meditation Centre - This is a very powerful hotspot. It's where the Buddha spent 6 years practicing austerities before he became enlightened. This monastery was built and is owned by a Burmese-Indian Monk, Chandramuni Bhante. Here there is generally not much guidance from the Chief Monk who is intermittently there. When Bhante is there, Bhante is like a Buddhist encyclopedia and can educate you on all the Suttas. He has a strong preference for the Abidhamma and often teaches that. You really need to be able to do your own practice meditation-wise, as he has several other monasteries which he manages. The timetable is from 4am-9pm in the evening. You will also be able to take robes and ordination here. One thing to note here is they serve meat here. You can eat vegetarian, but I found the amount of oil in the food, not conducive to meditation. So nowadays I ask one of the drivers to buy me fruit from in town. Not very dharmic, but I just can't eat that kind of food while I'm meditating.

Myanmar

Pa Auk Forest Monastery - Jnanas based - it's a massive meditation centre. Like a small village. On the female side, I didn't get the attention and guidance that I felt I needed. I had many incredible dreams here though. I think the male side is a lot more focused from what I've heard. There are many monks, nuns and lay practitioners who stay for years. You can quite easily obtain a "meditation visa" which will allow you to practice for your whole life without interruption, if you feel called to do that. As such, the environment isn't intense like a Goenka course. Although there is "noble silence", there is noble chatter, and you can purchase things at the shops/go into town on certain days.

Nepal

Panditarama Lumbini - The Buddha's birthplace, very peaceful and tranquil place. Vipassana based. Bhante is a German Monk, highly skilled practitioner and living Vipassana teacher which is quite rare.

Australia

Newbury Buddhist Monastery - Ajahn Brahm lineage in Victoria. A beautiful monastery with a very calm and peaceful vibe. Mainly service based and only meditation and chanting in the morning and the evening. Other than that, you'll have to do initiate your own meditation practice. You can really feel Ajahn Brahm's relaxed and joyful essence here. A very nice place for female practitioners as Ajahn Brahm was the Monk who first initiated women to become full Bhikkunis - at the cost of his connection with the Ajahn Chah tradition.

Wat Buddha Dhamma - Ajahn Chah Lineage. The Chief Monk here is Ajahn Khemavaro. I had the best time of my life here during rains seasons. These monks are hardcore dedicated practitioners. During the rains retreat, the Dhamma hall was open all night long and Ajahn Khemavaro was there from 9pm till 5am in the morning chanting "itipiso." Ajahn Chah Lineage focuses a LOT on service, so your whole day will be full of meditation and service. This is a pristine stunning forest monastery and you will be required to hand your phone in if you are on retreat.

Dhamma Aloka - Goenka tradition in Victoria. A very beautiful centre, amazing food, perfectly conducive meditation conditions. A strong Dhamma vibration as they run back to back courses all year around. They have some long courses here now too. I sat a 30 day here and it was one of the best places for me to do the LC. Also, I really like the food. You can live off raw fruit and salads here. Vegetarian and vegan.

Thailand

Wat Pah Nanachat - Also in the Ajahn Chah Lineage. Extremely dedicated practitioners. Many male practitioners, I was the only laywoman at the time. Ajahn Chah tradition across the board is very masculine oriented and the females won't get much attention or guidance. There were no Nuns at the time I was there.

Dhamma Kancana - One of the best run Goenka centres I've ever been to. The rooms are impeccable, the dhamma hall has AC, the course is run very smoothly. It doesn't have the powerful energy like the Bodh Gaya centre, but highly reccomend for a first timer wanting to sit a course in peace.

I am very new to Theravada and to Buddhism in general, so I apologize for any naivety or mistakes on my part. I was listening to 'Suffering of the World, Joy of the Dhamma' - A Dhamma talk given by Ajahn Gong on 21 Mar 2024.

Ajahn Gong mentioned how worldly attachments lead to suffering. In particular, he mentioned early on in the talk "to have a family, more people that we love, is to be more tied up with them, and this causes more suffering and more problems."

This was curious to me. I know suffering is part of life, so maybe that is just something we are made to accept for the sake of our family?

How can I reconcile not doing harm with the harm my family may feel I caused them if I were to distance myself from worldly attachments? I'm not saying I will, it is just something that I am having a hard time grasping as I begin my studies. Thank you in advance.

Me and my one friend has been friends since 3rd grade we our now in out 30s the issue is he is everything im agaiinst well not completely but more often then not. He uses racial slurs in ear shot of the people he's talking about. He has a track record of hurting animals just to do it. Voted for a polical party just to hurt people. I know he sounds llike a social path but hes calm down a lot since ageing thou its it still continues at a smaller scale. The issue i have is i could befriend them but then i would be alone. He is my only friend and we do have a lot in common like the love for the outdoors and space pocket knives and even love for movies. Im at a lost i started to think about this strongly after a polical figure got elected and said hes glad to see people get screwed over. Truly at a lost right now. The reason i havent put more thought into this sooner is i thought maybe i could drop some wisdom on them. Ive told him to be quite when he was going on a racial tyraid and often stoped his attempts to hurt animals usally trying to throw a rock or hit them with his car. I dont do anything about that last part im not gunna cause a wreck.

I would like to touch on the topic of right effort in general, as well as approaches to meditation. In particular, some of Ajahn Thanissaro's criticism of "pure awareness" or "acceptance".

Excerpt from Ajahn Thanissaro's book on right mindfulness: https://www.dhammatalks.org/books/RightMindfulness/Section0009.html#heading_id_3

In general, this criticism is largely true. In the sense, you can't reduce the dhamma to one path factor, like some people who think that "being purely aware is a moment of nibbana" or something like that.

Likewise, seeing mindfulness as drawing from life and enjoying simple pleasures like drinking tea is also not something correct, because mindfulness is not practiced to immerse oneself in sensory experiences.

Similarly, you can't accept every impulse, and "pure awareness" itself is also a fabrication.

But it seems to me that the approach that Ajahn Thanissaro sometimes uses may not have a completely good influence, at least on me. The point is that his instructions on dealing with various mental states can be interpreted in such a way that every time an unskillful emotion or urge appears, we should eliminate it with effort.

For example, if we feel angry towards someone, we should remind ourselves of the good actions that this person has done to weaken our hatred towards them, or we should remind ourselves that acting on the influence of anger we may do something stupid that the person we are angry at will be displeased with, or we may develop metta instead of anger.

It is only difficult to make such efforts all the time and may lead to suppressing anger, but it will still exist somewhere in the background. Ajahn Brahm once told a story in one of his talks about a monk who decided to never look at a woman for a month in order to weaken his urges. He kept avoiding the signals that would allow the urge to manifest, but when after a month he came across the first signal that triggered the urge, his mind was very unstable. This effect can probably be caused by distraction.

On my own example, I have noticed that such observation of various defilements in the mind and their acceptance without reacting to them simply develops peace and is not useless on the path. A person then becomes accustomed to a given impulse and learns to exercise restraint, that is, we know that a given impulse is unskillful, we know not to behave under its influence, but we do not suppress it. The proper effort in the form of eradicating bad qualities is simply made by not acting under the influence of these impulses.

That is, when you feel anger, you notice the anger, you accept it, you observe it, but under its influence you do not perform any action, you only know to be vigilant and not to act under its influence. I have noticed that a similar approach can be applied to impulses or drives that appear when we apply the 8 precepts. When you apply some ascetic principles that cut us off from sensuality, desires hit your mind one after another and you can learn to be like a flood embankment that is hit by waves, but it remains unmoved. It requires much less effort and is easier to implement into everyday life.

What is a valid opinion? How do you understand right effort?