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“To be humble does not mean that we are ‘less than,’ but that we are ready to accept the possibility that there is some wisdom that we still do not fully possess,” says Tashi Nyima, the preceptor at Universal Compassion Buddhist Congregation in Dallas, Texas. Be a person who embraces opportunities to practice humility. Author and rabbi Joseph Telushkin suggests asking these types of questions of yourself to bring humility into your life:
- Do I respect people whose opinions differ from mine?
- Do I try to better understand those who disagree with me on important issues?
- Do I have the maturity to change my mind on a strongly held position?
- Do I listen to others with the sense I can learn something from them?
- Do I solicit and actively seek out perspectives different from my own?
-Victor M Parachin, "How to Manage Pride the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
- Do I respect people whose opinions differ from mine?
- Do I try to better understand those who disagree with me on important issues?
- Do I have the maturity to change my mind on a strongly held position?
- Do I listen to others with the sense I can learn something from them?
- Do I solicit and actively seek out perspectives different from my own?
-Victor M Parachin, "How to Manage Pride the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
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Meditation is very good for the spirit. Ancient yogis and modern meditators note spiritual/emotional benefits, including:
- emotional, spiritual and mental detachment
- peace of mind
- heightened awareness of the inner self
- the ability to look beyond the body, mind and personality
- living without ego attachment
- discovery of one's true being
- attaining self-realization and spiritual awakening
- maintain a balanced perspective on life
Before proceeding, it can be helpful to pause and think about the importance of cultivating a broad perspective on your life. Suffering is often deepened because we personalize what has happened. This can leave us feeling victimized by life which, in turn, makes us feel worse. . . . You have a choice in how you will respond to traumas which come your way. Use meditation as a tool for empowering you to respond--not react--to life's difficulties in a rational, healthy and balanced way.
-Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit
- emotional, spiritual and mental detachment
- peace of mind
- heightened awareness of the inner self
- the ability to look beyond the body, mind and personality
- living without ego attachment
- discovery of one's true being
- attaining self-realization and spiritual awakening
- maintain a balanced perspective on life
Before proceeding, it can be helpful to pause and think about the importance of cultivating a broad perspective on your life. Suffering is often deepened because we personalize what has happened. This can leave us feeling victimized by life which, in turn, makes us feel worse. . . . You have a choice in how you will respond to traumas which come your way. Use meditation as a tool for empowering you to respond--not react--to life's difficulties in a rational, healthy and balanced way.
-Victor M Parachin, Sit a Bit
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There is pride that is positive and emotionally healthy that shows up as self-confidence, healthy self-esteem, and awareness and appreciation of one’s accomplishments and achievements. In an article from Tricycle: The Buddhist Review titled “Hang On To Your Ego,” Thanissaro Bhikkhu writes: “If your ego functions are healthy and well-coordinated, they give you a consistent sense of priorities as to which forms of happiness are more worthwhile than others; a clear sense of where your responsibilities do and don’t lie; a strong sense of your ability to judge right and wrong for yourself; and an honest sense of how to learn from your past mistakes.”
On the other hand, there is pride that is emotionally dysfunctional. That form of pride looks like arrogance, inflated self-esteem, and the feeling that one is superior to and more important than others. . . . It can be challenging to assess whether you’re simply a confident person or someone who is arrogant and whose pride is becoming an issue. The subtle grip of pride entering a person’s life was observed by the Seventh Dalai Lama (1708-1757) who wrote: “What is the wild horse that throws one from the mountain one is ascending? Pride, which thinks oneself superior and dwells on one’s own good qualities.”
-Victor M Parachin, "How to Manage Pride the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
On the other hand, there is pride that is emotionally dysfunctional. That form of pride looks like arrogance, inflated self-esteem, and the feeling that one is superior to and more important than others. . . . It can be challenging to assess whether you’re simply a confident person or someone who is arrogant and whose pride is becoming an issue. The subtle grip of pride entering a person’s life was observed by the Seventh Dalai Lama (1708-1757) who wrote: “What is the wild horse that throws one from the mountain one is ascending? Pride, which thinks oneself superior and dwells on one’s own good qualities.”
-Victor M Parachin, "How to Manage Pride the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
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Modern psychology researchers consistently reveal that optimism is linked to better physical and mental health outcomes, as well as promoting a sense of well-being during difficult times. This would be no surprise to Eastern spiritual teachers who have, across the ages, promoted and endorsed maximizing the positive and minimizing the negative.
Be like the sages and cultivate optimism. Motivate yourself by reading and reciting wisdom statements about optimism and positive thinking such as these:
- “People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong. Why not try and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom?”—Thich Nhat Hanh
- “I have no such words as ‘cannot,’ ‘difficult,’ ‘impossible,’ and ‘weakness’ in my dictionary. Those who are attempting to strengthen their will-force should remove these words from their dictionary.”—Swami Sivananda
- “Buddhism is a path of supreme optimism, for one of its basic tenets is that no human life or experience is to be wasted or forgotten, but all should be transformed into a source of wisdom and compassionate living.”—Taitetsu Unno
- “It is a great advantage to be able to face life with a positive and balanced spirit.”—the Dalai Lama
-Victor M Parachin, "Turning Poison into Medicine the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
Be like the sages and cultivate optimism. Motivate yourself by reading and reciting wisdom statements about optimism and positive thinking such as these:
- “People deal too much with the negative, with what is wrong. Why not try and see positive things, to just touch those things and make them bloom?”—Thich Nhat Hanh
- “I have no such words as ‘cannot,’ ‘difficult,’ ‘impossible,’ and ‘weakness’ in my dictionary. Those who are attempting to strengthen their will-force should remove these words from their dictionary.”—Swami Sivananda
- “Buddhism is a path of supreme optimism, for one of its basic tenets is that no human life or experience is to be wasted or forgotten, but all should be transformed into a source of wisdom and compassionate living.”—Taitetsu Unno
- “It is a great advantage to be able to face life with a positive and balanced spirit.”—the Dalai Lama
-Victor M Parachin, "Turning Poison into Medicine the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
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“Changing poison into medicine begins when we face difficulties with the confidence that we have within us the full resources to overcome them.” —Daisaku Ikeda, Japanese Buddhist philosopher and teacher
The phrase “turning poison into medicine” was first articulated by Nagarjuna (c. 150-250), an Indian Buddhist teacher often described as the “second Buddha.” In his Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, Nagarjuna presents the truth that any person can become “a great physician who can change poison into medicine.” His principle is astonishingly contemporary, optimistic, and hopeful because it specifically teaches that, with right effort and right thinking, a negative can be converted into a positive, suffering can be transformed into flourishing, and pain can be refashioned into power.
-Victor M Parachin, "Turning Poison into Medicine the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
The phrase “turning poison into medicine” was first articulated by Nagarjuna (c. 150-250), an Indian Buddhist teacher often described as the “second Buddha.” In his Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom, Nagarjuna presents the truth that any person can become “a great physician who can change poison into medicine.” His principle is astonishingly contemporary, optimistic, and hopeful because it specifically teaches that, with right effort and right thinking, a negative can be converted into a positive, suffering can be transformed into flourishing, and pain can be refashioned into power.
-Victor M Parachin, "Turning Poison into Medicine the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
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“You have to learn to accept the good and the bad, just as you do with the weather. You can't change it. So it's better that you fit yourself into the weather.” This wisdom is offered by Sivananda Radha, a yogini, author, and founder of Sivananda Ashram in Burnaby, British Columbia. Her wisdom is a reminder that it is not at all unusual for us to find ourselves in situations we simply can’t change. Rather than deny the reality and avoid it as much as possible, a healthier approach is to apply radical acceptance. When that’s applied, we give the issue less power over us, and a path for moving forward emerges.
-Victor M Parachin, "Turning Poison into Medicine the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
-Victor M Parachin, "Turning Poison into Medicine the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
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When obstacles show up in our lives, we seem to have a natural propensity to view the issue in a negative light. Negative thinking is emotionally dangerous because it can block our personal growth, lead us to make bad decisions, and drive us to become the worst versions of ourselves. That’s why it’s important to do a mental reset, directing the mind away from the negative and into the positive.
In Buddhism, this perspective shift is called “right view” and is the first step of Buddhism’s Noble Eightfold Path. Right view means disciplining yourself to silence that inner negative voice, allowing optimistic and hopeful vision to emerge. According to the ancient Indian sage Patanjali, it’s not that complicated. He advises, “When presented with negative, disquieting thoughts or feelings, cultivate an opposite, elevated attitude.”
Anytime you find yourself in a negative frame of mind, acknowledge it and make a transition toward the positive. Doing so will enhance your life, says Swami Vivekananda, who writes, “Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith, and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer in achievement and experience.”
-Victor M Parachin, "How to Build Persistence the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
In Buddhism, this perspective shift is called “right view” and is the first step of Buddhism’s Noble Eightfold Path. Right view means disciplining yourself to silence that inner negative voice, allowing optimistic and hopeful vision to emerge. According to the ancient Indian sage Patanjali, it’s not that complicated. He advises, “When presented with negative, disquieting thoughts or feelings, cultivate an opposite, elevated attitude.”
Anytime you find yourself in a negative frame of mind, acknowledge it and make a transition toward the positive. Doing so will enhance your life, says Swami Vivekananda, who writes, “Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith, and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer in achievement and experience.”
-Victor M Parachin, "How to Build Persistence the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
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“The importance of patience and persistence to the success of any endeavor cannot be emphasized enough,” noted modern Buddhist master Hsing Yun. This combination is powerful because patience helps us endure delays and disappointments, while persistence motivates us to keep moving forward toward our objective. Anytime you feel that your patience level is weak, especially when facing difficulty, inspire yourself by reading and reflecting on these types of wisdom statements:
“Can you remain unmoving until the right action arises by itself?” -Lao Tzu
“The greater your patience, the closer you are to success.” -Hsing Yun
“The wonderful thing about patience, unlike commodities, is the more we use it, the more we offer it, the more we have.” -Alan Lokos
“Patience is the capacity to calm the mind under stress so we can see our way clearly.” -Ker Cleary
-Victor M Parachin, "How to Build Persistence the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
“Can you remain unmoving until the right action arises by itself?” -Lao Tzu
“The greater your patience, the closer you are to success.” -Hsing Yun
“The wonderful thing about patience, unlike commodities, is the more we use it, the more we offer it, the more we have.” -Alan Lokos
“Patience is the capacity to calm the mind under stress so we can see our way clearly.” -Ker Cleary
-Victor M Parachin, "How to Build Persistence the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
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"I have two doctors, my left leg and my right leg." -G.M. Trevelyan
2. When walking you can give your mind a focus by a simple method of counting your steps. As you walk, count the number of times your right foot touches the ground beginning with three steps: 1, 2, 3. Once at 3, add another number and begin again: 1, 2, 3, 4. Once at 4, add another number and begin again: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Follow this pattern until you get to the number 10. Then, do the same with the left leg and keep alternating the legs. Once you feel your mind is relaxed, stop counting. If you find yourself overly preoccupied with thoughts start up the count again.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha
2. When walking you can give your mind a focus by a simple method of counting your steps. As you walk, count the number of times your right foot touches the ground beginning with three steps: 1, 2, 3. Once at 3, add another number and begin again: 1, 2, 3, 4. Once at 4, add another number and begin again: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Follow this pattern until you get to the number 10. Then, do the same with the left leg and keep alternating the legs. Once you feel your mind is relaxed, stop counting. If you find yourself overly preoccupied with thoughts start up the count again.
-Victor M Parachin, Think Like the Buddha