Bodhi Basic Training

Bodhisattva training was cool today. Bodhi means enlightened, and Sattva is a person or being. In general we discussed how to get started treating people as if you are an enlightened being.

1. Treat everyone as your guest. ie, we all need compassion and we are all special guests in the world and to each other. If everyone adopted this thought, then there would be less arguements. -Compassion requires "maitri" which means trusting in the heart. Trusting in the heart is not easy since all of us have been hurt and we hold onto those feelings and we tend to have hidden expectations of loved ones, whether we plan on it or not. To me, this is much due to perceptions and not asking for what we need, and giving honest answers as to what the person you ask can do or not do. Sometimes we are taught to have hurt feelings over things that maybe aren't personal but we take them as such. Openness could alleviate some of this but requires trust first.

2. 5 Baby Steps to Kindness Settle Down -settle down and be still, notice the difference between here and there and feel present Be in the Present -be in the moment. Clearly take sometime as this moment and not hold onto what happen yesterday or may happen tomorrow. ie, don't be defensive over two years ago, look at today's behavior, and don't expect the "walk out", "smart remark", "anger", "name calling", "whatever" that caused pain before....as perhaps it is different now.

Drop the Escape Routes --personal to fear and dedication, knowing triggers and choosing responses instead of habitual denials

Pay attention to Space --pay attention to physical and mental space and work to create a physical and mental space condusive to maintaining clear perceptions

Share the Space --Share your space with the people you adore and notice the power of accomodation, acceptance and non-judging.

3. Show your self the same love and compassion as you do others. -love is the capacity to take care, cherish, protect and nourish. -if you don't love your self, then you will not have built the skill set to expand love to others.

4. My own insert: Embrace Joy like the Warmth of Sunshine --laughter has been proven to heal and yet the western world puts precepts on behaving certain ways at certain times based on statute, position, wealth, whatever. Why? Practicing joy and love cultivates good and renews the body.

Check out the article: Shambhala Sun, January 2015, pg, 47-51, with inserts from Chogyam Trungpa RinPoche, Bell Hooks, Thich Nhat Han, Judy Lief, and Christina Feldman

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