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It’s easy, and perhaps natural, to underestimate our acts of kindness and be left wondering whether they actually make any difference. The Buddha recognized we humans think this way, so he cautioned: “Do not overlook tiny good actions, thinking they are of no benefit; even tiny drops of water in the end will fill a huge vessel. Do not overlook negative actions merely because they are small; however small a spark may be, it can burn down a haystack as big as a mountain.”
-Victor M Parachin, "How to Practice Compassion the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
-Victor M Parachin, "How to Practice Compassion the Buddhist Way," Spirituality & Health
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To evolve morally and spiritually, Buddhism offers the eightfold noble path. Number six is "right effort," the cultivating of positive qualities and releasing negative ones. Buddhism fine tunes right effort into sub-categories called "four big efforts."
1. The effort to avoid negative not yet existing in our lives.
2. The effort to overcome negative which already exists in our thoughts and acts.
3. The effort to preserve the positive already developed in our thinking and acting.
4. The effort to develop the positive not yet existing in our minds, hearts and actions.
Driving the four big efforts teaching is the understanding that too many people have right intentions but neglect to put good ideas into practice, into daily life. This weakness is further strengthened by putting off for another day what we know should be done today. That's why it's important to cultivate the four great efforts daily--to avoid, overcome, preserve and develop.
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
1. The effort to avoid negative not yet existing in our lives.
2. The effort to overcome negative which already exists in our thoughts and acts.
3. The effort to preserve the positive already developed in our thinking and acting.
4. The effort to develop the positive not yet existing in our minds, hearts and actions.
Driving the four big efforts teaching is the understanding that too many people have right intentions but neglect to put good ideas into practice, into daily life. This weakness is further strengthened by putting off for another day what we know should be done today. That's why it's important to cultivate the four great efforts daily--to avoid, overcome, preserve and develop.
-Victor M Parachin, Buddhist Wisdom for Beginners
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It's all too easy to discount our efforts and minimize our effectiveness on the planet because most of us are not creating global change--negotiating peace treaties, ending wars, discovering new vaccines, etc. Yet, the Buddha wisely reminds people not to overlook tiny good actions. Our small acts can, indeed, make a big difference. A tiny seed can, in time, produce a huge tree. A small act of compassion can relieve a great distress. The journey that covers an enormous landscape always begins with the first step. The Buddha taught, "Do not overlook tiny good actions, thinking they are of no benefit; even tiny drops of water in the end will fill a huge vessel."
-Victor M Parachin, Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds
-Victor M Parachin, Eastern Wisdom for Western Minds