Seeking the Heart of Wisdom by Joseph Goldstein

Author:Joseph Goldstein
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shambhala Publications

EXERCISE

Restraint

The practice of restraint is an essential element in the teaching of the Buddha. It provides great strength, energy, and composure of mind, and there are many ways we can begin to cultivate and develop it. In some sittings you might resolve not to move at all for a certain period of time, whether for twenty minutes, forty minutes, or an hour. This restraint in movement will arouse great effort and deepen concentration. When desires arise, practice letting go of them, saying no in a gentle and loving way. The desire may be for a simple thing like an extra cup of tea, or a desire to speak when it is not really necessary. Practicing restraint with small desires gives us the strength of mind to be restrained with more powerful desires when they are understood to be harmful. If we have a strong habit that is not serving us well, we can make a conscious practice of restraint in that area, perhaps, in the beginning, for a predetermined period of time. All of these exercises will develop this power in the mind, and we will begin to see for ourselves the very direct relationship between restraint and freedom.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.