Sun 27th Mar 06
Dear friends and family,
Negative situations surround us everywhere.
Take this last week in
Over 1 million chickens and other birds have
been put to death to prevent the spread of the deadly bird flu, 3 terrorists
were caught on their way to carry out a suicide attack somewhere in Israel,
Naomi Blumental MP was sent to prison for 6 months for bribery and corruption.
On Wednesday we had a Hamsin (Hot desert wind) which made people irritable,
yesterday a young fellow was electrocuted when he was climbing an electric
pylon to take down a poster of an opposing political party etc.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama teaches that
negative states like these endanger ourselves and
others. But this is only true if we don't confront and avert them.
Unfortunately many people don't do this.
Instead they hide away from a negative situation by taking alcohol or drugs and
so deny themselves the opportunity of confronting and averting them, which is
so vital to our preventing them from causing harm.
This isn't my aim in "
This is done by "examining my mind in
all my actions in the midst of the negative state." as the Dalai Lama
teaches.
I can't change the negative state into a
positive one but, by examining my mind in the midst of a negative state, I can
give the negative state a positive function in stimulating my mind.
By using the negative state in this way I'll
use my mind to think of performing actions that will help me to survive and be
happy.
Examining the mind in the midst of the
negative state is so essential that I can go so far as to say that it is even
good to be faced with a negative state.
This is only true if I examine my mind when
the negative state arises. A negative state is bad if I don't examine my mind.
By not examining my mind in the midst of the negative state it will also become
negative and I'll do actions that will bring disaster on myself
and others, instead of bringing success.
It seems, in fact that humans have a need to
discover negative states. Perhaps this is why newspapers are such successful
ventures. I suggest that the search for negative states even lies at the base
of need for curiosity which leads to discovery and invention.
Newspapers thrive on this phenomenon and
present, even the most mundane events as crises situations.
The fact is that all situations are the
outcome of ordinary events that are perfectly natural in a world where humans
interact with each other and with nature. Wherever the various forces of nature
interact with each other both negative and positive situations are bound to
happen.
Facing and averting negative situations is
definitely no easy matter, but the benefits in self understanding and better
relationships are so great that it's well worth the effort.
Handling negative states by confronting and
averting them is a mental exercise that makes us grow and become strong both
mentally and physically.
I agree with Shantideva, the Buddhist
philosopher of the 8th century, that somehow we need
to separate our feelings from the event that gives rise to them. This will help us "examine our mind in
our actions when a negative situation arises."
Many people fall into the trap, as I have
done throughout my life of examining the situation and the feelings instead of
examining the mind. Examining feelings and situations may have use in history
or psychology but examining thoughts in actions give insight and results in
effective behavior.
Wishing you a great no news
day.
Reply to: legork@netvision.net.il
Leon Gork. Israeli Tour Guide.
Tel/fax 02 5810732
Mobile phone 052 3801867
http://www.geocities.com/leongork
http://jerusalemwalks.tripod.com