Way before Buzzfeed, the Buddha was creating listicles: The Seven Factors of Enlightenment, The Three Jewels, The Eight Worldly Winds... I could go on. He wasn’t using these lists as clickbait, obviously; they were teaching tools -- ways to understand how the mind works, and how we can work with the mind. The first and, many believe, most important list promulgated by the Buddha was the Four Noble Truths. And today, we're going to take a stroll through this list with Phillip Moffitt. He’s got an interesting resume. He’s a deep dharma teacher who studied in the Thai Forest tradition for years, and was a Co-Guiding Teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center for most of the last decade. But he’s also a former editor of Esquire Magazine who has run workshops and done one-on-one counseling on the subject of personal life changes and transitions. As I mentioned in the last episode, we’re dedicating this whole week to the subject of managing change in a chaotic world. Monday, we spoke to Bruce Feiler, who takes a more journalistic approach to the subject. Today, it’s a Buddhist approach. Not only does Phillip walk us through the ways in which the Four Noble Truths can help us manage transitions, but he also layers in another list -- a listicle within a listicle. Don’t worry, it’s not confusing or complicated; it’s incredibly interesting. So interesting that Phillip actually wrote a whole book about the combination of these lists, called Dancing With Life.
Where to find Phillip Moffitt online:
Website: http://dharmawisdom.org/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dharmawisdom
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therealphillipmoffitt/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/Phillipmoffitt1?feature=watch
Book Mentioned:
Dancing With Life by Phillip Moffitt: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781594863530
Other Resources Mentioned:
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry by Jack Kornfield: https://www.amazon.com/After-Ecstasy-Laundry-Heart-Spiritual/dp/0553378295
Ajahn Sumedho: https://dharmaseed.org/teacher/10/
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Coronavirus Sanity Guide: https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide
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Full Shownotes: https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/phillip-moffitt-283
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This is an unofficial transcript meant for reference. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
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get doses. That is ten percent. All one word spelled out dotcom. Slash, try hey guys way before buzz feed. The buddha was all about creating list this
in factories and lied meant the three jewels. The eight worldly wins I could go on. He created a lotta lists. Obviously
but it was not using lists as click bade he was using them is teaching tools. Ways to understand
how the mai works and how we can work with the mine, the first and
They believe most important list promulgated by the buddha was the four noble truths, and today we gonna take us stroll through this list with philip Moffit
He's a dude with a very interesting resume. He's a deep dharmu teacher who studied in the thai forest tradition for years.
And then served as the co guiding teacher at spirit rock meditation center, but is also a former editor of s
our magazine, who has run workshops,
down one on one counselling on the subject of personal life. Changes and transitions
I mentioned on the last episode- were dedicating this entire week of episodes to the subject of managed
change and a chaotic world. On monday, we spoke with bruce filer, who takes a more journalistic approach to the subject. Today, it's a buddhist approach
Not only does philip walk us through the ways in which the four noble truth can help us manage change, but he asked
layers in another list a kind of listing within a little
Don't worry, though it's not confusing is not complicated. It's incredibly interesting so interesting in fact that philip actually wrote a whole book about the combination of these two lists called dancing with life. So here we go with philip market.
Felt great to meet you for doing this. Thank you for inviting me. Did you come at this moment from a variety of really interesting
Standpoint one is you ve been doing this one on one coaching, helping people through
injuries and transitions in their life and the other is used for several decades been studying in practising teaching the dharma so
the general question. What's on your mind as you watch the worlds.
Endure these various earthquakes in our lives. First of all, like
Most of us. My heart goes out to the
but who are on the edge of the suffering of those who have to carry the largest burden of the suffering, and I think it's important that we all acknowledge that there is a disproportionate allocation as to who has the most experienced.
suffering and it can give us a perspective for our own disquiet whenever that may be, that any given person as having during this time,
so really an acknowledgement of that and then
The thing that I guess most I've been dismayed by is,
reactive, mind: states we would call them from a buddhist perspective. React in mind, states all round the uncertainty that is present in so many different aspects right now in life really across the board and that we act
women's day is leading to such delusion again from the buddhist perspective of there, be in that one of the three characteristics of that at that this panic that can come of the delusion that comes the hindrance of delusion can showing up because of the way or
answer put together so that this reactor, my state, leads to a lot of unnecessary kind of suffering. Both in a practical way of implementing powers
cease and any internal way of art getting disoriented?
losing any sense of a ground where our feelings can
It contained in related to with wisdom and compassion.
So on an individual level. Your sense is that many of us- and I'm just picking up on your last point, many of us get stuck in our
here are a virgin.
reed or whatever that's coming up in the face of all the tumult around us and, as a consequence, make bad decisions that can cascade out and pretty
found ways right, so we can make bad decisions for ourselves. We can be reactive to others in ways that cause harm
just think of the mask of wars.
Who would imagine that in our society, people would literally costly
the harm to one another over, whether not someone is wearing a mask for their own sense of safety. The beginning
cause harm to others in all sorts of ways, and then we can add to the general
feeling of unease that exacerbate
everything. A damp set up. The moorish are produced,
in consultation with you and me had the thought that
one way to sort of get at some of these laws.
you're issues would be to go through these,
condition all logistical of the buddha, the four noble truths and europe
I think we've been doing this show for four years. I don't know that we've ever taken a detailed stroll through the four noble truths which I now realize is kind of a form of malpractice. On my part,
some. You have a really interesting way of talking about this list
from the buddha. I wonder before
diving into your dissection of the list. Maybe you could just give us some
overview on on how and where, from a historical standpoint, the buddha is said to have promulgated this list. Well soon after the buddhas enlightenment
he spent time just dwelling and that liberated feeling
and then it dawned on him according to the story that this is
worthy of sharing the four nobles produces these
standards were worth of sharing, but then he asked
then, who would understand it and he was thinking
but then he realized there are those
people who have little dust in their eyes. It said little dust in their eyes who would understand
and so he works for a few days to where the people he had been practicing with before he went off to practice on his own these five km,
Anyone see ad and he walked back and they saw him
in a distance you like it, they who is this
Ranger, that's got this bearing about them this, the bearing of having achieved this liberation and then they were amazed and discover it was their former.
practice companion, and so he sat down with them and tell them
the four noble truths and that's referred to as the first turning of the wheel
the beginning of down and all the different schools to different yom us in buddhism, all agree that the four noble truths are, the fundamentals teaching they then have different ways of describing it and so forth and put in it and differ
context, but that's just the fundamental teaching and that all the other teachings are really an elaboration of the four noble truths teaching. So let's go through the four noble truths and your take on them, especially with the we don't have to restrict ourselves to this.
but let's keep in mind that the emphasis on on how to navigate change in transition, which is that of a universal issue at this moment in human history, really is.
Mercer right now and we are all gone, tourists be going to change.
of our own making and then changes, because the world has changed always
In my own gratitude, I learned this particular teachings of the four noble truths from the venerable,
john tomato now
In thailand
for many years was the head habit and of largest monastery in england,
sitting on a dark hall. Having many times heard the teachers in the four noble truths I've been so impressed,
there was a teacher he announced for these ten days. We're gonna be studying the forerunner of truth
this is a great teacher, but the four noble truce yet again,
and I was amazed to hear these twelve insights of the forest,
what truths which I'd? Never despite having gone through a myth that point I'd, probably practiced fifteen years or so
in the tradition, I'd never heard them, described it
It's way in there from the eldest of the terrible takes the same view to acquire and they take the forerunner of truth, ass, a practice rather than a philosopher.
They are a description of reality alone. Each of the four noble trees is still be proud.
and there's three and sides that their cultivated- and this is what
he's on world leading in terms of having freedom from great hatred and delusion red aversion. If you prefer that word into it, so it's
it's kind of a all. Within a list a listicle hand, it takes the floor. Noble truce out of the roma,
philosophical and makes it really practical. Yes in it
brings it into your life, because you, you actually witness
your own life, your own life is teaching you the dogma,
Your seen it with dama eyes
another way. I described that that has had a big impact in our community is I asked people to cultivate, been available to the dharma or dharma some people pronounce it. You know that you've got the two different pronunciations dharma dharma, so I asked people to be available to the tama and ah it has
had a kind of startling impact because they had not so many people think of practising is doing
and being available is much more
somewhat knowing and eat
more still being
you're being available. You're not like figuring it out,
you're being mindful you're using the mindfulness practice in such a way
Your daily life to see what is suffering and not as suffer interesting home
so I will cite a people on retreats or working with a small groups or whatever it may be, that the first thing to do is to be able to save what is Duca and what is not doing. So. What is suffering in one is not suffer, that's it
Spain is to recognise. Oh, this suffering is often times the buddha said away, often think that what is happiness is actually suffering.
If one is suffering, is actually happiness so to recognise in this moment
I am in some way participating and causing duca myself suffering or again. The suffering has
much wider use of that word and we use it in English is unsatisfactory.
distressful it negatively contribute jane, is reducing its flattening.
All of these different kinds of flames, big big implication about our basic attitude and motivation. So the first of these three things I'll tell people to do is
I recognize this is suffering so right now, I'm experiencing suffering are the way I've gotten all tied about being right in relation to my spouse. This is suffering I'm suffering and I'm causing my spouse suffering here and now you know it's not like some philosophy. It's here now and then to say: do I have any choice? That's the second part of this as a living. This
noble trees is do I have. Any choice, has sometimes we're so determine where right away,
no matter where, so, whatever that we can say, we don't have a choice
and that alone is the beginning of an awakening right back. I dont want
in a way that I don't have a choice
my mind getting states where I dont have choice. So that's. The second part is dr choice and then the
Third, is to say- and I choose
apologize. I will stop the argument. I will not continue with these negative fast.
confronting some water speaking in politics in terms of hatred now, I've stopped
and if our present, when someone else is doing it I'll leave the room so that we start to
living relationship with our practice. Rather than being so
we do over there and then wait.
Deborah life over here, so bad
but that is a backdrops. Then you, when you look at the first noble truth, where the first number two states that there is due
and the way that understood in the three insight is the buddha is giving you a philosophical statement there. This is for you can use the old. Had the cocoanut to think about things was true.
There's suffering in my life, and I don't know anybody who live doesnt have suffering. You think the way we westerners like to think,
you examine. That is a supposition that that's probably true there is there a stress
And then the second of the insides is that Duca is to be known its to be penetrated the instructions to fill the ouch so that you actually feel
yes, this is Duca this attitude, I'm carrying his duca in self worth. When I speak this way, this is duca. I'm supporting these people that are doing this thing, and this is duca.
Stuck and so that we have that recognition and then the third inside of the first noble trees,
that, really do now took it now. I do know it
and no one. It means that we know we know to the degree that we can integrated in our decision making about life. So let me just see if I can recap a little bit just to set go all the way back. This is a four par les, the four noble truths and under each part there are three insights and that's the innovation from your teacher or John's tomato. So we've just done the first noble truth, which is life is suffering which sounds quite pessimistic, but what the buddha meant by that
Life is suffering. Is that one way to construe? It is if, given that everything changing all the time, you are clinging to think
that will not last you are going to suffer.
then, those tomato? Your teacher is then saying there are three things
can do with this first novel. Truth first is too,
now remind me here know it now
recognize it, and then you feel it and then, on that basis you respond. No it feel it respond,
yeah signs. This again the teachings come from the same you two necktie, the owners of the caravan buddhism tax. So it's so meda
is the one who has built his whole teaching life around this venerable samantha gotcha. So that's not his innovation. I misspoke there it's his emphasis in the teaching based on the right axis, two things to say about the first note
truth is that the border was not saying that all of life suffering, he did not say that in fact for lay people there,
places where he gives a long list of happiness, the kinds of happiness, sucre, it's called the kinds of circa that you can have in life and one of those that he mentions is being debt free,
by the way which I thought was really funny so
you're saying that life is bound with suffering, that there is some
and duke and they're bound together in you, don't get one without the other.
That's the nature. You will hear buddhist peaches, particularly monastic talk about
nature understanding the nature of this round. So this is done
nature of this round its pointing
The dual nature of our life so being born, we can see, is joyous. Then, if we see that its Joyce than we can see old, age, sickness and death is the duca, that's why that is the fundamental teaching that used to describe the nature of duca because it becomes
most easily understood back people, but every moment there's this interplay of silken duca, because everything is changing there.
three times in the semi generic higher version that to the buddha describes three kinds of duca, the duke of emotional and fiscal, paying that's pouch right and then the duke of because everything
is always changing, so you can never get it right in its days,
can't wash your hands wants a sale. I really got clean hands I'm through with that. How
times run our we all needing to wash our hands over and over again, you can't rushed your teeth watts,
My partner- and I have the perfect relationship were so happy right now, but then is welcome.
Amazon unhappiness it everything changes so lets the second kind of duca and then the third kind of lucca. As this
Rob is little more subtle, which is that, because we are compelled,
we're aggregated we're bodies made up of parts vienna
when being is made up of parts its perplexing to find their there,
where there is a true self that is unchanging in our identity and die again. That's what
saddle, but that's unnerving to our eco, our objective functioning systems, because we want there there and so that the third part of duke of
So just taking this to a really practical oak, Hurrah level here of
our lives right now. How
We operationalize this first noble truth in the three subsequent
insights in a moment where I dunno
some news about the possibility of
corona virus, reinfection or
these some news about. Another police shooting of an unarmed black man or locked up with my kids
when they're driving me bonkers.
How could I really integrate this into my life on a momentary basis? So the first note of truth is about recognition and then the second noble proves
more about responding to what you recognize but biggest stick here with the first noble trees.
You recognize. Oh, this is suffering and
in recognising that it's the stress of it,
The unsatisfactory nature of this
even if you love your kids, their brand new bankers. But you love your jensen. You love your
country and your country, as is enabling
something beer
horribly wrong now for hundreds of years to hope. So
but other population. You see- and you feel the pain from us of that, but rather than becoming a dental fight with it ass a kind of thing
were led you to work on your south turned to hatred, and you know tat.
personally in that way, the idea is that this is a name
have this realm that this duca, this thing centre unsatisfactory, occur.
it's the nature of the realm is fun
hey it's duality. This is the next
of the manifest world in which we live? This manifest universe, as far as we know, is everywhere made up of opposites. It's a duel
the bigger problem. The eight worldly winds of game
laws, pain and pleasure.
Her feynman repute, praise and blame the system nature of our world and then
when we understand that
it's not about us it's about. This is the nature of this
and it's how we then get to relate to this, and so that would be the first level of it and what we accepted,
impersonal. We see how we can in some way.
respond out of compassion, love if you will and out of wisdom,
we in so far as we have choice and our
natural lives and in our roles that we're
adding to the suffering that we realize. I don't want to contribute more to this. If, insofar as I have choice so knowing it will, I'm going to just see if I can put it into the three insights as you've just done just to restate, it just make sure that I've got it, because it's all really interesting. I can see how I could apply it
life suggest something is happening. That's is causing suffering from me and others, something in the news
in my family life and just to do this as suffering, and that suffering is not unnatural. It's natural! It's the reality of this world in which we live. This realm is to use your term. The second is to feel it, and this is where meditation can become useful. Just
sit and actually become familiar with what this feels like in your body and in your mind, and the third is to once you ve, taken the beat to feel the thing
To respond wisely, instead of reacting blindly correct, based
on your values and again just to say that part of the world part of this experience in this realm
the duca- and there is also much sucre made at Sea-
nature and its beauty. The sucker began out here
the fires in California, I am right now is duca that nature that so
beautiful- where we want to live out in nature being surrounded by nature. We don't get one without
the other. If you see what I mean, the duality of dickens circa, what pleasant an unpleasant its referred to in the four foundations of mindful us. This is a second of afore foundations, a marvellous
existence of pleasant, an unpleasant and a worldly way. There's a second aspect of that.
Foundation of which witches unworldly pleasant and unpleasant.
So we are seeing this dance has called the bypass with life. For that reason, the sea, where the state
of life. With the
were changing its always changing a pleasant, an unpleasant, and so we're not gonna. Stop that change, but we can dance with
in a more wise way about,
say wise, not as we should you know, but like what actually brings well being to us, then what's much, we in that second noble truth size than describes,
why it is that we have an unwise relationship to life if we're, if we without practice, without exploration. Much more my conversation with philip method right for this, you I've heard about master class for you
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the flop on the wondering or wherever you get your podcasts, you can listen to the big flop early and ad free on wonder e plus get started with your free trial and wondering dot com, slash plus before we get to the second noble truth. I just want to in the theme of the title of your book dancing with life. I've heard this sometimes described as you can talk about dancing or you talk about surfing. Are you going to get pump
well by the waves, are you going to surf the web? See whatever pick your analogy, but let me give you an example from my own life and see if cause this is what came to mind as I was listening speaking and see if this strikes you as an appropriate operationalizing of what
we are trying to teach us here. I've been dealing with my parents and their aging for the last couple of years, and I mean that's filled with all of its own sadness and horrors, and especially the begin
I was kind of caught up in that part of it and a friend of mine, very wise friend, vine, not a normal teacher, but just a very smart guy and also
agitator. He had taken care of his mom and his twenties when she was dying of cancer, and he is advice to me when he was listening to me. Talk about what's going on, my parents was try to find the sweetness in it, and I noticed that that is very doable. Theirs.
quite doable. This is really sad and can be horrifying to have a role reversal with your parents in this way, but also there is a lot of sweetness in it, especially since you know they were gray. Parents and take care of them doesn't scan for me as a burden, etc, etc. So, anyway, that's a lot of personal stuff that may be as irrelevant, but up
It came up in my mind, is being relevant. It really is relevant and I've actually said those very well.
to a number of students to find the sweet
this in relation to both parents and
with children that are that are have made
The challenges that they have children that that are open
dying or have really major challenges they will live with his honest, I do live
There is always some place within us.
Where we can have a soft relationship,
and not a pollyanna kind of relationship with the best of all possible worlds? Kind of interpretation. That's delusion,
but that, in the nature of all of this, there is some place of peace. Some place of caring,
so like with my mother ass? She was in a coma for a long period of time, and
in some ways I could
see how that that coma was,
kind of resting that my interpretation of it because of
my attachment to be in your mouth.
Functional that I was, I was ascribing to her experience, something.
I had no way of knowing was her experience and that I could celebrate her as as herself
in that this is the way her life is unfolding and if we don't celebrate a person's life as its unfold
then we're not really honouring their life and its particular true with kids who have challenges like that is our life. They don't have some other life. So if you
they treat them is that somehow they are less, you can see that this premium
the wrong kind of relationship. Likewise, if
we're going into a kind of was that matter collapse
around your parents and you start suffering, because there's
free, then your adding to the suffering of the universe. So now there
more suffering in the universe, but if those parts of you than are carrying parts of you are present in your finding that sweetness and this in the
honouring the celebrating the life they have made easier. If you ve had great parents your instance, then there is less suffering, there's morse joy in the universe
it's just in a mathematical way and again this isn't some syrupy thing. If the buddha said that people who were truly happy would not pass suffering to others where one could make all sorts of references from there, but we showed
I think people will be able to read regions that pregnant pause. I just say for my own part, I can just think about the times and I've cause suffering to other people. Its generally.
made me unhappy in doing it, but it's also more to the point
out of some unhappiness on my end, so this is great. Let's go to the second noble truth. Ok, the second noble truth states that there is a cause of suffering of passive duca
and what's the buddha means by the cost of suffering is how we're relating to suffering that our experience of suffering is based on how we're relating to it. So they fiscal
no pain and lies
is how we relate to it. That constitutes, must have are suffering.
So- and he says that the way we relate in there
I train mine is through what's called tata or thirst, that weak
to what we want that we grasp that we were trying to stop
names, as you said earlier. In our conversation, we try to stop change when changes inevitable. You know, when
china is the perfect gaze at your and joined them ass. They grow up and become
but more challenging or whatever. It may be of your life that you, you love being runner and then one day the knees won't support that anymore.
And if you are clinging to know, I want to have my niece support me
I don't want ever have to stop running then that clinging,
in the way of your finding. A graceful waiter relate to watch true now, so they refer
The first of those sites is, is that true
really matter how relate to things in life
then I dont like or even still the
in life that I want that. I don't get. You know
How am I relating to that makes a real difference
my interior experience with that's easily proved by everybody for themselves.
Ten minutes and watch your mind, and you can see that how you're relating mixed saw much difference.
life is the way it is in this moment and we can have goals for the future about changing. But in this moment, are we
contracting as our mind turning to version or we calling greed and so on,
and we do we get caught in small ways and
tat s really really large wise in some ice us at times.
in fact many many many over. So that's the philosophical asset first inside that you again you think about that. You know. Is that true or not you think about this, and you could talk about it with your friends or whatever, and then the second inside of the second noble truth is to release that cause of suffering.
Lease clinging release the grasping release, this thirst, you momentarily release it. Just this very moment. Can I not be caught in this
I may get caught all over again with great next mama, I'm so ups.
about the way they are doing. The going back to school for the kids. People have strong views about this in every direction around the pandemic.
So in there's. This kind of there can be a
going into hatred around that like making somebody an awful being because they have a different view. The new about further, not kids, should be going back to school. Reopening and action.
Our knowledge is suffering in my mind, and
Then, in its distorting my view of another person, there can be different views about this use it as a simple example, because of the time and place we are right down the path.
So why the practices releasing and it's it's momentary, because in there
momentary moment
by releasing our grasping you, Europe. I want this mass past one
Something else I want to move my space doesn't want to
Mass past was a terrible person residing in a bit of whatever kind
ebay. The mom,
We release it. We can see that our grasping is distorting the totality of our experience
and often times in a way that takes off the better part of us, the better part of us, the more caring parts of us, the wiser parts of us get shot out in that grasping that
ringing and is so and those that the value of that is, you know it
because you watch it when you let go, that's why it's a more difficult practice than just recognising suffering it's a whole step up in practice and boy can
to do this in everyday life over and over again
there. Were you in traffic. You probably don't have that much traffic right now compared to usual, but often asked people showed.
Do traffic practice where they are in traffic and why
their minds, dates by their driving and heavy traffic.
Way is that mine states serving you are innocent
How can you be a better drivers? It make you a safer driver so on and so forth in a while,
like everybody else,
in your way. You because your traffic onto job to release this home sat up perceptions that come what I've thomas react
The mind we're not getting what we want
If you are or where we have, we have some. We don't want and we get really reactive to it and the second noble truth practice is to let loose of that reactivity
Very simple: I need can recognize your reactivity really fast, but
after trying to care. You have to say it's possible that what the buddha was saying actually would make a difference in mind.
if so, I'm going to find out, you don't have to believe buddhism is not a belief system, but you'd have to say it's possible. You have to have enough faith to investigate in what is the faith and the faith is in your own capacity of your mind, heart.
And it did we get to the third in sight of the second level, not yet have a second of their releasing because its people, you have
really commit to releasing. I mean it's not like you're gonna. Do
the recognition of the first noble truth. There is stuka. Releasing this. My reactivity to the duca is like a hope and that's why I spent so much time on it with you and, and then the third inside of the second noble truth is that, oh, I know this.
true now I've experienced and over and over again, because a momentary released it, and so
I know that this is true, and I know that I know this is true. I'm gonna live this way
I must shift my way of living. I want. I lived the dama in daily life
Let's drill down on releasing clinging craving burst in a moment of ivory.
understood this in my mind, we're talking about the concept of letting go which for me
initially, I thought her lessons easier said than done
another way to phrase. It is letting be so either so much actually to do it
to see clearly, oh yeah yeah, I'm feeling a homicidal urge visa v. The person
The car in front of me on the highway was going in defensibly slowly
just to see it. Clearly, you don't have to feed it or fight it. That is their releasing. Am I saying this correctly? Yes, so what the releasing is
there's ever more subtle levels of that, but that is correct. It sets the right
recognition of that. You are grasping that you are clinging your contracting
and then as best you're able to put that down. So it's like, if you pick up something: that's hot you're, nervous
Some were really sit immediately. Your drop and even if they have break rather keep burning you for.
you to recognise in the same way that certain thoughts, words and actions are burning you. So you don't the part that europe that the pocket unit rise was hot when you start to
did you you release it? You don't throw away the part. You need the pot for cooking, so you just put it down. You put the pudding it down it and so on
the second noble truth is all about desire desire of wanting this sets pleasure metal.
Ass. It ought to be the way we wanted wanting to, but common, not wanting to be. This is again listed in the semi generic higher as those three kinds of things,
So the venerable tomato describes them as natural energy
round. That desire is a natural energy of this room for it to arise.
in our relationship to it is what we can change and so boy
just put down. Yes, you dont have to get rid of the pot, so you can let you have that you have a sense of what should be it. There's nothing wrong with that capacity. Cosette your moral
compass in the end. But then you realize that will get my judging other drivers because they are in
I way it is not over
the use of that capacity, one critique I've heard of this mental move- is that- and I think this is a misunderstanding, but its nonetheless,
A compelling critique is that this idea of dry
being are anger or.
Greed or whatever it is that there is a specifically actually the critique has to do with anger is
It can lead to a passivity or quiet ism in the face of the injustices of the world
are you just tell me that my anger is invalid. I should just let it go and you don't let structural race
some continue or let you know, people in politics. I disagree with. You have their way blah blah blah. So
is a misunderstanding, and I just referred to the fact that you don't we
to let loose of your moral compass, so you can
I have a very strong feeling. This is not right and I must do what I can to change this and it is not the passion, that's the problem, it's when the passion is distorted by this one.
in mind. Martin Luther king is a great example of of someone,
was anything but passive buddy.
led his anger turn into account.
Hatred, but
to a larger kind of love, and we all benefited from it. You know I just
in a very obvious way and that's what makes him such a remarkable parson to live
and was he perfect as a human being and no but
this idea that people supposed to be perfect is again
kind of robbing life of of the duality of left wing when will we not be perfect, beads and and
The way he was relating to a real outrage,
It is still going on with a very effective way of relating to her in his time and space of so that would be an example.
So let's do the third noble truth, so
Third, no truth, as someone I tell people
paid less attention to in terms of practice, because one evolved into this that the third novel truth is that there is a state of
and which our relating to the world of lucca an arc clinging is transformed and it's a good.
To me it's a gradual path and that I take it his meaning,
at, although- and you might have a big moment when you are free, but then it all comes back unless you do all the work so by the way in terms of scrum that jack kornfield has this wonderful book called after the ecstasy, the laundry because people
had big spiritual experiences, we'll think I'll. Now, I'm beyond this, and now you go back and
that there is a lack of honesty and look like
the way I have understood it and my own practice experience and from the teachers atlas respective.
it's the end of the mind, being filled with greed or aversion or delusion,
that there is a clear relating to our experience with wisdom and compassion and that the experience,
therefore, of what the mind would be in its full form is that you would have
the problem of the horrors of loving kindness matter, koruna, compassion, the data of happiness for the happiness of others and then equanimity. I used to think that was impossible,
I said I am still very doubtful about that for me, but I don't consider it impossible that a human being's mind gets so free of conditioned reactivity that that's possible, and so that's the that's the state.
But ass. The first inside rose, or at least to some degree, that's true
Can imagine myself being more like that that I am now, which is the motivation to keep you practicing and then,
and then being inspired by those who clearly have done that more than we have in our society.
see right now around the world. We use the dalai lama. As an example of that, I will use nelson Mandela as an example of that too. It's not a buddhist slain saddam, nothing and the truth. Dharma means truth, and so so that's the first insight the second inside,
Is that it to be realised realised, as I would understand, it means that your ego is not going to accomplish. Ego, cannot accomplish it. There's things
The EU can achieve in terms of discipline in practice and so forth and after that, its attainment, it happened, spock,
ass. The conditions were right and it happens. We create favourable conditions. The venerable swayed, oh said,
The personality never gets enlightened and people
carry this around with them, they put it on their refrigerator.
door. People would stop me and say thank you for having for bringing this out, because
people think that our ego, with all of it's forks right as challenges. If we're supposed to do this, but now we practice, we create the conditions and then these insights build and then they take on their own momentum.
That's the realization, and then realisation has been understood. The third
site would be. That
each level, you are less well, I'm different person I was,
and you know that you know this so that you let the fruits of its come in
You can actually have a capacity to be a better person than your being
and not realize you ve got that capacity. For this a lot
If the people at the la round changes a lot of times. Just people don't realize the strengths they have, they think they're more common,
and something than they are in this small thing: we're not to let the third noble truth here in its largest, but just the everyday life about people's capacity, so that the three
insides and again. That is a more surrender kind of practice. I emphasize the first and second in the fourth noble truth in terms of how work, but each dance with whatever life we're given from genetics to the parents,
till the conditions in which we were born and raised soforth, there's not a fair distribution of that. The Bhutto's not saying there's a fair distribution
but that the whole thing is lawful and a manner of speaking that all of this in thus manifest world
This whole array of conditions manifest.
and it's how we're gonna relate to them from wherever we are and then that's
inner level
should happen is that data.
So we are another people where it ourselves, so I think all that brings us quite nicely to a noble truth. Never
for you, so the fourth noble truth- is that there is a path, a practice that leads to the end of the suffering, and it's it's made up
of a wise understanding and wise intention- and it's made up of rights,
he's right. Action right livelihood so that one is like.
way. We internally
organize ourselves. So
in the world and thoroughness practice of right effort and
Why separate and wise wise mine for us- and my somebody was concentrated, be concentrated in the path is so that's the description. The second, the the practice part as the second inside is always practice of each of these four is the practice,
is the practiced eight footpath and then their realisation is the third inside. Is all this path actually works? I know it works and therefore our practice. It more when it works even more
so that we really there's no one. You know if you dont know you now people gone retreat and they.
Happier than they are in their daily life, but somehow
now they know in a way that changes their daily life you dont have to beyond retreat to beyond retreat.
Daily life can be a retreat. It's is a practice. Portrait suggest to go with it, so the first noble truth life is suffering again with. All of that is a combat. That is a problematic translation. But let's we we've already. We've already issued the caveats there. So first noble truth, life is suffering second noble truth. The cause of that suffering is thirst
Craving the third noble truth: it possible to end that suffering and again the caviar that may not happen for all of us, but you can develop generate some faith that it is possible for human and that one can even regular mortals can progress on that spectrum toward decrease suffering and then the fourth noble truth is actually alyssa goal within a list, a goal within alyssa goal, which is the eighth fold path. There is a path of practice. It's got a parts
As sometimes every word on the part, every part of the aid is proceeded either with right or wise, so like right speech, right, livelihood right mindfulness,
There is external lifelike speech and livelihood and then one of the other two so one is practice like with mine from us and concentration
the finger concentrations have your mind, collected and unified and daily life, and then the third,
understanding, which is wisdom in intention catch it. So
the difference between what's cobb wise view and wise intention is wise view. Is your aspiration. Wise intention? Is this very moment
in this very moment, am I gonna manifest my values or not? I am I manifesting. My bag is not in this very moment here now. This is the immediacy of practice is wise intention. I ask so many different teachers
in thailand about this. The my understanding of this because I started
strongly? I wanted to know that. I was reflecting at least the taskforce dish, tradition view of that
Added to this, the music
where in your own life, for everybody gets here. Listening to us, why intention is here
as for you,
just ass. You are you, don't have to have a better version of you right now. I know why
I value in this moment. I wish to value of this. I wish to implement in my speech in action
use the best time able and it may not
the great, but at least I'm gonna do whatever is available to me. It doesn't make sense to you to be the great that its available people
was that thread of their own aspiration because they found themselves on accept
but now we are as we are, so we do as best as we are able as we are. We start where we are its with painful for meda watched people to feed themselves.
because if they have some conceptual idea there, it's none of your business,
A conceptual idea, it's an actual lived experience,
it's not a religion and the usual sense of the word of a beginning at an end without
I request the logical story- it's not it's here and now here. It's really change me. So so, when you talk about these self limiting stories, I just see if I can give you a present of Babylon,
yet again see if this is on point, I have sometimes a self limiting story around my
Innovations are fundamentally rotten and selfish, and my wife is sometimes pointing out to me.
that can get in the way of my.
Seeing any positivity in water
doing in the world without being example of what.
You're talking about them, it would be an example. Yes, so the buddha was.
talking about intention in one of the suitors, and this text called the monument kyar which the middle length discourses
He says: there's three kinds of intentions: wholesome intention, which brings wholesome results, there's unwholesome intention, which brings.
some results and then there's mixed intentions that brain mixed results,
I was very happy to discover that suitor, because it is
that way. While they have mixed motivations, so you can be doing something pipe, wonderful to help others and also
you're actually lacking the people admire new fort, if you,
I would deny that your liking. It then you're giving more power. Will you
What kind of attitude towards this? Oh, your liking this day and your liking doing this and you so europe treating that the dam that likes this is kind of
childlike assert way. So your loving him today, you're, not fixing here but you're, understood.
I loving him and gradually through seeing the
As of people lacking, you got within their. If you do,
wrong they're not go like you. If you mess it up for some of these people, I gotta think you did it the right way. Then you start to see up. It's all about the super
but I was enjoying about being admired. Also has the duke in it so there's the super duper again so stay away from it that doesn't lead anywhere
and then you just stay with the well intentioned it might take ten years in relation to a particular.
fact of your life, for you are being quite helpful but gradually,
Mt of something that's involved in that is really reduced.
and you enjoy it more, that's the irony of this. It actually feels better with less suffering. It's paradoxical. That's one way I can explain it. You have to experience that for yourself a pasta go come see for yourself. The buddha said you just have
experience the stuff in its away of relating. I keep saying this: it's not,
you're not being asked to believe something, but have an experience
and our process. This shows up everywhere in relation to change your buddies in this, as we were said at the beginning and we're in a time of great change and to see how yours,
Turning to change to say are you focusing on the fact the duke
the unsatisfactory witness of the stress of it are the physical pain or the emotional paint
what are you relating to that in a way that making it worse? Do you have any choice? If you do have, some choice will be willing to make factual
the sometimes in our anger bitterness we actually take birthday, we deliberately keeping it,
no one without realizing it, because we ve got used to it. We think that's ass. I am such an angry person about, however, is that really serving you set changing what you're angry about
european angry person. When automatic, given up your more pompous, hear them
accomplice last in for you,
about your whole life to social justice.
is a high profession. That's wise livelihood
nobody's going, nihilistic or hedonistic or anything like better. But that's the ass and
when we come to change to realise that we are capable of change, that we can respond to change without bringing
and that our whole life anyway is based on change, were always changing.
when were little children all the way through every stage of adopt development, there's always adopt development stages
We are always gonna, be changes, so the more weight
a wise relationship to change in relation to the fore, noble truths about the scene, the dupe
the change somebody's forcing us to change. We don't want to change the someone says.
I want to stay to you, I'm laying you off. Let's look at sticker
how we respond. How we relate to that are we being responsive, are reactive response of his coming
from our buys and that allows wisdom reactive is we beat our selves upper hate them or something, and so with
change at all place. All the way through- and you can,
count in your life that you're going to have a series of changes as an adopt it,
natural, its biologically built in
an utilizing. These insights for this purpose is making your life a practice. Once life work
better. As far as I have been able to determine how now seem thousands of people's lives, it works, better, is practised
It is, you know, I'm gonna result, although this life works better. If you up
ouch it as a moment to moment practice as opposed to something that's etched in stone. Thus, otto people, your practicing practice you're, not practising resulting
you used the resolve to help. You find you your practice, but you know
luck unresolved. It we know about support
of happiness and I could go off and tommy psychological things that I don't think so full, but we know from psychological study the grasping after her
penis in an identity of south is gonna, buy after happiness has turned out so well, but don't
need to have results like I'm writing a book right now, I'm trying to get myself to enjoy the process as much as possible. That's my only episodical succeed there, but it eventually I
need to produce a result in the form of a book. Yes, yes, so, but
If you sit down and right, I don't know,
taken in our day of europe and my old lifeless, editor in chief esquire backs. They sat in people's.
attic or wherever is further roddy room was such an help. Them outline them thing,
You're right, I know all about being frozen. Is riders so many things like that, but
you ask yourself. If I sit down for an hour,
our in right, I dont let myself do anything else. So,
either I will choose to ride or I'll sit there. Then
creating the conditions that you can't distract yourself, you're more likely to
it down. So your practising banner
well for writing your intention.
this very moment is to touch those keyboards. Sometimes you can't sometimes you stare off into space, but you know that
But you are committed to I'm being available for writing to happen. If see, they're gonna happen or not.
but I'm not doing anything else. My practice has shown up in doing this, that you say: ok,
I think I've gotta have it all worked out personal, I'm dismal start running things whatever it might be for you
whatever adjustment. But your comment, that is, I write. A book will result, but I write.
And even after a result which will come and go, I'm still practicing somethin. You still practicing so
practicing when you get up in the morning. I talk about starting today,
clarity, your lie there in bad, even before you get up and meditate, and you open to this day with clarity that
this issue I wish to be this day. I'm gonna be do in these different pass journey days
I put on different hats, I'm going to have different identities during the day, but this is who I wish to be no matter what identity. I will use different skillful means to accomplish different goals in my day, but my intentions, my basic values
be the same intention person. I have an additional live and that's all
be the same for around with my children,
for there, I'm writing whatever it is, I'm doing abuse different means, but whose there is a person than practised cultivating so that I have the choice to choose to live my values there,
empowering you used to have her words at rhyme earlier sucre duke
and then another rhyme came to mind wabi savvy, which is the japanese term for beauty in imperfection. Yes, and it seems like if you can see the truth of and accept the truth of sucre duca, then you might get to wabi savvy,
Yes, because this is the world we live in. This is our role in its not a mistake that around like this, the book,
you described. It is the most precious of all. Birds have to take his word for that, but
yeah, that nature is beautiful and nature is cruel. I sometimes
one time in the new york times and an ipad thing. They describe that nature.
The uneven and I was gone. What do you mean? Nature cannot possibly be evil. It can be cruel.
not a personality. It's not got motivation, it just is this realm. Is we
in a dual role. Once we accept that,
and how are we going to relate to that and like it's, not personal, but we have a personal relationship in a reactive mind, you react like a puppet on a string of pleasant and unpleasant if it's pleasant,
why don't you want to justify way by you? Have it and others down, and you want more of it if its unpleasant,
I get rid of it or you want of what it would you want to blame
herself or someone for having it. That's a reactive mind which, based on that pleasant enough,
step. Pavlovian kind of existence are responsive, mind comes from heavy,
a set of values, the same pleasant and unpleasant arises, and but you have choices
you're gonna, relate to them. You dont relate because their pleasant and pleasant
You relate to those same circumstances based on your guys.
and more and more, that gives you a deeper sense of satisfaction that the actual pleasant and pleasant again you two sectors,
That is an invitation to look at them.
so we're moving from a reactive mind for you too,
signed by conditions, tour, responsive mind
where you are not defined, but your characterized by conditions, so we're always will be characterized no matter what let's be
grown up here, but we do not have to be defined and that's freedom. That's the buddhas happiness, that's the dance! That's the beauty! That's the wabi savvy! That's it ass with life.
philip. Thank you very much has been a pleasure
I appreciate being here with you and thank you for your good work, thanks again to philip and big thanks as
as to the team who work incredibly hard to make the show a reality. Samuel Johns is our senior producer
Sir schneider meant is our producers are sound, designers are met boeing and on your sheikh from ultra violet audio maria were tell us our production coordinator. We get a tonne
Wisdom from our tpa colleagues, such as joint point made Toby
and Rubin was Levin and, as always, big thank you to my abc news com,
ryan kessler, Josh co, him we'll see you on friday for a bonus,
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Transcript generated on 2023-09-13.