Welcome week 3 of Off the Cushion, Into the World! So before we dive in, take a breath and just notice how far we’ve come already.
Ok remember how a couple of weeks ago I mentioned how doms said their #1 client type was CEOs because they just want to be told what to do at the end of the day?
Well I don’t know about you, but I sometimes feel that way too. Whether it’s overwhelm, decision fatigue, or just tired from carrying the load – some days I’m like just order dinner for me and make weekends plans. Really – I’ll be fine with it because I trust you.
And that’s the key part. When we relinquish energy, we want it to be a source we can trust. Someone who knows us. Knows what we like, dislike, when we turn to self-sabotage, do too much or slack too much.
Then it’s easier to trust and let go.
It’s the same with spiritual paths. There are so many approaches – so many options, really. How do we know what’s best for us?
Well, we can follow what someone we trust says to check our. Again, always with discernment because there are some crazy AF people out there. And always trusting our gut. And never succumbing to anything unethical.
The good news is that in Buddhism there’s a recommended path. Of course, you’re not discouraged from creating yours from scratch, you’re encouraged to think critically, debate, question, explore.
AND, to save some time, there’s a tried and true recipe of sorts that has been shown – fairly reliably – to help us move along our journey…
So this week, we’ll be talking about the first bit or so of what Buddhist teachings call the Noble Eightfold Path, the path that the Buddha laid out for how to live with more freedom.
Again, the idea is to check it out and see for yourself.
There are 8 steps on this path, but the main areas we explore this week are in the domain of Wisdom, or Pañña. Specifically, Right View and Right Intention.
I want to start by clarifying something – when you hear “Right View” or “Right Intention,” it’s easy to think of it as moralistic – like there’s a right and wrong way, and if you screw it up, you’re in trouble.
But in Pali, it’s more like “wise, skillful, aligned.” So it’s more like “right” as in “helpful, freeing, reality based.”
Now, Right View is about aligning how we see the world with how things actually are. This may sound obvious, but most of us are actually arguing with reality half the time when we say stuff like:
“This shouldn’t be happening.”
“This should last forever.”
“I/they should be different.”
The Buddha said If we want freedom, we’ve got to stop fighting what is and start seeing clearly.
There are three key “lenses” of Right View that can help remind us of these truths. I’ve outlined each lens here, but be sure to check out the full episode to find out why they all help us realize and celebrate our freedom;)
The first is to think of Karma as cause and effect, not fate. It actually means the actions of body, speech, and mind have consequences.
The next lens is a reminder that everything changes: jobs, moods, relationships, seasons. And when we cling to permanence and resist the fact that everything ends in some way or another, we suffer. A lot.
The final lens for Right View is about interdependence, which reminds us that nothing arises alone. It also shifts our sense of connection to other humans and the more-than-human world.
When we try to commit to seeing life through these lenses, we start wasting less energy resisting what is, and we make wiser choices because we see the ripple effects.
So if Wise View is about seeing clearly, Right Intention – wise intention – is about pointing our compass wisely. The Buddha described three kinds of Wise Intention:
First is Renunciation. This isn’t about giving away all your stuff and moving to a cave. It means letting go of grasping. Freedom to say “I don’t need to cling to this.”
Goodwill or loving-kindness or friendliness is the intention to meet others with a baseline of kindness and self care instead of hostility. Especially when they annoy the hell out of you;)
Harmlessness is the flip side of what I just covered. It’s about choosing not to add more suffering into the world, not just by avoiding big obvious harms, but by noticing the small daily ones – the sarcastic jab, the gossip, the self-criticism – and choosing differently.
So Wise Intention is about checking in with our motivation. Why am I doing this? Is it aligned with freedom, or am I just running on fear, greed, or ignorance?
So what might this Wise Intention look like? Maybe when you’re stuck in traffic, instead of stewing in your rage and flipping someone off, you choose instead to use that moment to practice patience and breathe.
Or if you’re having a hard conversation with your kid (or partner;), your autopilot might be like, “just stop whining already.” But Wise Intention would be, “I intend to listen with care, even though I’m tired.”
This is the wisdom wing of the Eightfold Path. It’s about seeing clearly and orienting wisely. Planting seeds that lead to freedom instead of more entanglement. Next week we’ll move into Ethics.
You will learn:
// What wisdom is and why we need wise view and wise intentions on our spiritual journey
// 3 key lenses of Wise View to help us see and experience the world without resisting reality
// The 3 types of Wise Intention we can move through life with
// Some ways we can practice Wise View and Wise Intention in our messy, daily lives
Resources:
// Episode 40: Desire and Attachment
// Episode 44: The Power of the Pause
// Episode 77: Change Is Inevitable
// Episode 278: Off the Cushion and Into the World, Part 1
// Episode 279: Reality Check – Off the Cushion + Into the World Part 2
// If you’re new to the squad, grab the Rebel Buddhist Toolkit I created at RebelBuddhist.com. It has all you need to start creating a life of more freedom, adventure, and purpose. You’ll also get access to the Rebel Buddhist private group, and tune in every Wednesday as I go live with new inspiration and topics.
// Want something more self-paced with access to weekly group support and getting coached by yours truly? Check out Freedom School – the community for ALL things related to freedom, inside and out. We dive into taking wisdom and applying it to our daily lives, with different topics every month. Learn more at JoinFreedomSchool.com. I can’t wait to see you there!
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