THE SEVEN-POINT MIND TRAINING
by B. Alan Wallace
edited by Zara Houshmand
more...Dharma Quote of the Week
If our practice does not diminish self-grasping, or perhaps even enhances it, then no matter how austere and determined we are, no matter how many hours a day we devote to learning, reflection, and meditation, our spiritual practice is in vain.
A close derivative of self-grasping is the feeling of self-importance. Such arrogance or pride is a very dangerous pitfall for people practicing Dharma. Especially in Tibetan Buddhism, with its many levels of practice, the exalted aspirations of the bodhisattva path, and the mystery surrounding initiation into tantra, we may easily feel part of an elite. Moreover, the philosophy of Buddhism is so subtly refined and so penetrating that, as we gain an understanding of it, this also can give rise to intellectual pride.
But if these are the results of the practice, then something has gone awry. Recall the well-known saying among Tibetan Buddhists that a pot with a little water in it makes a loud noise when shaken, but a pot full of water makes no noise at all.
People with very little realization often want to tell everyone about the insights they have experienced, the bliss and subtleties of their meditation, and how it has radically transformed their life. But those who are truly steeped in realization do not feel compelled to advertise it, and instead simply dwell in that realization. They are concerned not to describe their own progress, but to direct the awareness of others to ways in which their own hearts and minds can be awakened.
--from The Seven-Point Mind Training by B. Alan Wallace, edited by Zara Houshmand, published by Snow Lion Publications
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Tuesday, August 03, 2010
B. Alan Wallace - Dharma Quote
So many people I see who claim "higher development" (or "second tier" in integralese) are so full of themselves - and it's not really supposed to be that way. But they seem to take themselves seriously, then they get attached to power and to having people admire them - and then bad stuff usually follows.
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This speaks so clearly to my inner experience towards the end of the ITC. I personally felt so much internal dis-ease as I began interacting at the start of the conference. As the weekend went on I was attracted people, speakers and something quiet within myself that clearly reflected my own unhealthy investment in higher development. Nothing wrong with development at its core, but my experience with always and forever having an agenda for development brings out unattractive qualities and my deepest wish to share from a place of kindness is overshadowed. The gift I received in awareness this weekend was the message to deepen, to be, to simplify and "make no noise at all." I am grateful for the reminders and enjoying a sense of peace that as escaped me for a long time now. Thank you for sharing this further validation :)
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