Thursday, April 19, 2018

Praise, Blame, and Worse in the World (sutra)

Ven. Thanissaro (trans.), Lokavipatti Sutra (AN 8.6), Dhr. Seven, Amber Larson (eds.); "Success and Failure" (Saccharine Trust); "Meditation" (Yongey Mingyur Rimpoche)
How do we keep from drowning in the world and cross over to the further shore?


"Meditators, these Eight Worldly Conditions chase after the world, and the world chases after these eight worldly conditions. What are the eight? They are gain, loss, honor, disgrace, praise, blame, pleasure, and pain....
 
"For an uninstructed worldly person there arise gain, loss, honor, disgrace, praise, blame, pleasure, and pain. And for a well-instructed disciple of the noble ones there also arise gain, loss, honor, disgrace, praise, blame, pleasure, and pain. So what distinction, what difference, what distinguishing factor is there between the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones and the uninstructed worldly person?"
 
"For us, venerable sir, the teachings have the Blessed One as their root, their guide, and their arbitrator. It would be good if the Blessed One himself would explain the meaning of this statement. Having heard it from the Blessed One, the meditators will remember it."
 
"In that case, meditators, listen and pay close attention, and I will speak."
 
"As you say, venerable sir," they responded.
 
The Blessed One said, "Gain arises for an uninstructed worldly person. And that person does not reflect, 'Gain has arisen for me. It is impermanent, disappointing, painful, and subject to change.' One does not discern the situation (reality) as it actually is.
 
"Loss arises... honor...disgrace...praise...blame, pleasure...
 
"Pain arises. One does not reflect, 'Pain has arisen for me. It is impermanent, disappointing, painful, and subject to change.' One does not discern reality as it actually is.
 
"One's mind/heart remains consumed with the gain. One's mind remains consumed with the loss... with the honor... the disgrace... the praise... the blame... the pleasure. One's mind remains consumed with the pain.
 
"One welcomes (grasps at) the gain that arises and rebels (pushes) against the loss that arises. One welcomes the arisen honor and rebels against the arisen disgrace. One welcomes the praise that arises and rebels against the blame that arises.

"One welcomes the arisen pleasure and rebels against the arisen pain. As one is engaged in welcoming and pushing away, one is not released from birth, aging, death, from sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, or despairs. One is not released, I say, from dukkha (suffering) and disappointment.

"Now, gain arises for a well-instructed disciple of the noble ones. And that person reflects, 'Gain has arisen for me. But it is impermanent, disappointing, and subject to change.' One discerns the circumstance (reality) as it actually is.

How to overcome monkey mind to meditate
(Mingey Yonger Rimpoche) How can we possibly meditate in this corrupt and confusing world?
 
"Loss arises... honor arises... disgrace arises... praise arises... blame arises... pleasure arises...
 
"Pain arises. One reflects, 'Pain has arisen for me. But it is impermanent, disappointing, and subject to change.' One discerns reality as it actually is.
 
"One's mind/heart does not remain consumed with the gain that has arisen. One's mind does not remain consumed with loss... honor... disgrace... praise... blame... pleasure. One's mind does not remain consumed with pain.
 
"One does not welcome the gain that has arisen nor rebel (push) against the loss that arises. One does not welcome the arisen honor nor rebel against the arisen disgrace. One does not welcome the arisen praise nor rebel against the arisen blame.

"One does not welcome the arisen pleasure nor rebel against the arisen pain. As by abandoning welcoming and pushing, one is released from birth, aging, death, from sorrows, lamentations, pains, distresses, and despairs. One is released, I say, from dukkha and disappointment.
 
"This is the distinction, this the difference, this the distinguishing factor between the well-instructed disciple of the noble ones and the uninstructed worldly person."
 
Gain/loss, honor/disgrace, praise/blame, pleasure/pain, these conditions among human beings are impermanent, inconstant (in flux, radically impermanent), and subject to change.

"Knowing this the wise person, mindful, ponders (reflects on) these changing conditions. Desirable things no longer charm the mind/heart, and undesirable ones no longer bring about resistance.

"One's welcoming and pushing away are scattered, gone to their end, and no longer exist. Knowing the stainless, sorrowless state, one discerns rightly, has gone, gone beyond becoming, to the further shore (nirvana).

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