|
THE SNOW LION BUDDHIST NEWS & CATALOG
218 pp., TRHEBU
$14.95 Snow Lion special $11.96
Order Now |
"Bad Behavior," A Truthful Heart Book Excerpt
Our own unethical or unkind actions can keep growing negatively within us unless we apply certain "remedies." Jeffrey Hopkins—author and long-time translator for HH the Dalai Lama—describes how disclosure and contrition are key steps in ameliorating the consequences of bad behaviors. This excerpt is adapted from A Truthful Heart.
In meditation, contemplate: "I have done it; I have to face the fact that I have done it. I can't undo what I did. But I am sorry I did it, and I intend not to do it in the future." Disclosure is the first step in undoing guilt, not carrying it all the time but facing misdeeds—"I did it"—not trying to hide them. Hiding what you have done nourishes guilt and thereby increases the negative force of the action—it's as if you are doing the action over and over again.
For contrition to be effective in ameliorating the effects of bad karma, disclosure of those deeds is necessary first. More than simply admitting to misdeeds, disclosure means to uncover, to reveal what you have done. Instead of hiding an action, reveal it. The Dalai Lama said that this is like the splitting of a log: you can see what is inside. Disclosure and contrition cut up, or break up, a mass of nonvirtuous power and diminish its force. |
|
Disclosure acts as an antidote to hatred. By hiding a nonvirtuous action, by holding yourself back from others, you separate yourself from those who might learn of your actual deeds. You will hate people who might know what you have done and can identify you. Some of the deeds to be disclosed were probably motivated by hatred, and the past hatred, if not admitted, will lead to future hatred. If you do not reveal misdeeds of body, speech, and mind—if you seek to hide them—their force will increase day by day. Think about it: Someone who feels guilty and tries to hide what he or she has done is nourishing the force of those very deeds.
Physical, verbal, and mental nonvirtuous actions need to be disclosed. You could reveal them to a spiritual guide, but generally people visualize a Buddha or high being in front of them, and reveal to that being what they have done. Go back through your entire life and reveal nonvirtues one by one. It takes time. Or, you could disclose to a group of practitioners. Stop letting those deeds have power over you.
|
 |
The next step is contrition. In meditation, contemplate: "I am sorry I did such and such; I regret it." Contrition is a heartfelt experience of regret that is at the core of resolving guilt. Contrition in itself is not necessarily virtuous; it can even be nonvirtuous. It is possible to regret virtuous actions as well as nonvirtuous ones, so what you decide is right makes a difference. If you give to the poor, for instance, and later regret it, that contrition is a nonvirtue, because the original action of charity was virtuous. What are nonvirtues? They are actions that bring pain—to oneself or others, now or in the future. It is possible to bring pain in the future through something that seems pleasurable now.
Sometimes, when I tell friends about some of the wilder activities of my youth, a smirking grin comes over my face as those unkind acts are reviewed. This shows the lack of depth of my contrition, of feeling sorry. Through watching my own reactions, I have found that it is not easy to develop deep contrition, to be truly sorry for misery that I have deliberately caused, to develop regret to the point of feeling that under the same circumstances I would not do the same again. As the years go by, it has been interesting to note how my contrition has deepened....
Certain deeds are like coming to a fork in the road. After the deed is done, you remain someone who went down one fork rather than the other; the deed retains power over you. If the deed is nonvirtuous, disclosure and contrition are ways of reducing that power. We cannot undo the past; it is over and done with; but it is possible either to reinforce or to alleviate the force of past actions. That's why disclosure and contrition are powerful.
* * *
More about the book . . .
"In six unobstructed steps [Hopkins] offers a clear how-to meditation manual on cultivating compassion, a major theme found in all Buddhist traditions. This book is refreshingly jargon-free, with everyday life applications. [A Truthful Heart] helps readers to explore the implications of the Dalai Lama's oft-heard refrain, 'We all want happiness and do not want suffering.'"—Publisher's Weekly
"Jeffrey Hopkins...takes a traditional, step-wise approach to the complete doctrine of Buddhism, from practicing equanimity to realizing emptiness. These practices are central to Hopkins' life, and he gives an unprecedented, vivid account of his own incremental transformation. The lens of personal experience makes A Truthful Heart an accessible and practical text."—Shambhala Sun
"Delivered in straightforward prose and peppered with Hopkins's wry observations and personal anecdotes, [the] exercises [in A Truthful Heart] have an appealing practicality."—Shambhala Sun
"Jeffrey Hopkins has spent his life helping others to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and openheartedness. Read this warm and wonderful book and learn how, just as I have."—Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within
"...a must-read for those who are searching for a path to a more joyful and fulfilling life."—Goldie Hawn, actress
"One of the finest presentations of Tibetan Buddhist mind-training in print."—Stephen Batchelor, author of Buddhism Without Beliefs
* * *
More about Jeffrey Hopkins . . .
Jeffrey Hopkins served as the chief interpreter to the Dalai Lama for a decade. Professor Emeritus of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies at the University of Virginia, he lives in Charlottesville, Virginia and Vancouver, British Columbia.
Books and Teachings by Jeffrey Hopkins
|
 |
