Following a path: taking the long view

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

I admire Thich Nhat Hanh for his perseverance from a young age in Viet Nam to his current devotion to the path of Buddhism. He says that there may be obstacles to traveling to understanding truth, and don’t think that you will get it down pat anyway.

He has been quoted saying:

“We must not be attached to a view or a doctrine, even a Buddhist one. The Buddha said that if in a certain moment or place you adopt something as the absolute truth, and you attach to that, then you will no longer have any chance to reach the truth. Even when the truth comes and knocks on your door, and asks you to open the door, you won’t recognize it. So you must not be too attached to dogma–to what you believe, and to what you perceive.” [in an interview with Diane Wolkstein featured in Parabola Vol 30 No 4]. More from Wolkstein.

Traveling a Buddhist path can seem like a riddle at times, but the more you settle into the study and listen to those who provide insights the more you start to understand. Learn more abut Thich Nhat Hanh.

World Cup and soccer players’ patience

Soccer ball

I have been watching a lot of soccer this week with the World Cup games.

Watching the players patiently apply their skills, forward thinking, but applying an amazing moment to moment concentration makes me think about some of the practice in Buddhist meditation where essentially a person is patiently concentrating and staying in the moment.

Wikipedia says patience “the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on annoyance/anger in a negative way; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties. It is also used to refer to the character trait of being steadfast.”

“In Buddhism, patience is one of the “perfections” that a bodhisattva trains in and practices to realize perfect enlightenment. In both Hinduism and Buddhism there is a particular emphasis on meditation, aspects of which lead to a natural state of mindfulness that is conducive to patient, effective and well-organised thought.”

So, I am enjoying watching the practive of patience of the World Cup players [of course you also see the frustrations some players will experience] as they work to achieve their goals.