Practice will not give us superpowers allowing us to prevent bad things from happening, and it won’t prevent stress, fear, or a broken heart when things fall apart within us or around us. First, practice is not going to help you avoid difficulty. There are number of things Buddhist practice is not going to give you, and it’s valuable to know this so you don’t waste your time trying to achieve them. The nine benefits I’m going to describe are essentially descriptions of a strong and healthy mind. It may not be immediately obvious how sitting silently in meditation helps you deal with pain, agitation, reactivity, and preoccupation, but every aspect of our practice strengthens our spiritual, emotional, mental, and even physical health. There may be particular practices – such as mindfulness of breathing, or Metta practice – which are useful when you’re experiencing troubling emotions and mind states (see Episode 147 – Loving-Kindness (Metta) Practice as an Antidote to Fear and Anxiety), but the benefits I’m going to discuss are the result of a holistic approach to practice.
When I talk about our Buddhist practice in this context, I’m referring to your whole practice regimen: Your meditation, your mindfulness throughout the day, your study of Buddhist teachings, your effort to live by moral principles, your interaction with Sangha, your generosity to others, and anything else you consciously chose to do in order to decrease suffering for self and other, and to increase your wisdom and compassion. In this episode I’m going to talk about nine benefits of Buddhist practice that are especially helpful when you’re facing difficult times.īefore I get that list though, I want to briefly state what I mean by “practice” in this context, and then say something about what Buddhist practice is not going to give you, even if you hope that it will. Sure, some Buddhist techniques like mindfulness can offer some relief in the moment, but without a strong and sustained practice regimen, such techniques – especially in difficult times – are going to be a bit like putting on a Band-Aid to cure your diabetes. However, Buddhist practice is like a long-term spiritual health program, not an instant cure for our problems that we can keep in our pocket and then take out an apply only when we need it.
I NEED SOME ZEN TIME HOW TO
Over the years I have encountered a recurring question from Buddhist practitioners: “How can practice help me deal with the strong negative emotions I experience in difficult times, such as anger, hatred, fear, or despair?” People want to know how to decrease their pain, agitation, reactivity, and preoccupation down to manageable levels, and this is a daunting prospect when it doesn’t look like certain things in the world are going to change for the better any time soon.įortunately, Buddhist practice is a powerful way to decrease our pain, agitation, reactivity, and preoccupation no matter what difficulties we’re facing, whether the challenges are in our personal lives or out in the world. Nine Benefits of Practice When Facing Difficult Times What Buddhist Practice is Not Going to Give You What is “Buddhist Practice” in this Context? I talk about nine benefits of Buddhist practice that are especially helpful when you’re facing difficult times. How can practice help us deal with the strong negative emotions we experience in difficult times, such as anger, hatred, fear, or despair? Fortunately, Buddhist practice is a powerful way to decrease our pain, agitation, reactivity, and preoccupation no matter what difficulties we’re facing, whether the challenges are in our personal lives or out in the world. 208 – Nueve Beneficios de la Práctica Budista en Tiempos Difíciles
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