Choices and the Dhammapada
Some days you just want a signpost to show you which choice is the right one, which path will take you to where you want to arrive. Or, who do you believe when you need facts to decide and hear conflicting information?
As Buddhists we understand causes and conditions contribute to us being at this very spot in this very moment. This is not predestination. Nothing is written in stone in Buddhism. Simply put, we are in this spot at this moment because of a combination of events, not necessarily in our control, combined with our own choices that proceeded this moment.
Dr. Kenneth Tanaka, in his Cleveland Humanities Festival presentation on non-self, talked at length about how we view our “self” as a combination of factors. This self-image contributes to the choices and decisions we make. I have my biases, my memories, my emotions and my rational for doing and saying what I do.
Do I view myself as a risk-taker or cautious; a political party member or an independent; a high energy person or laid back, a spender or frugal, prefer to hike or watch sports on TV? How I see this “self” of me contributes not only to my choices but likely contributes to my dukkha, dissatisfaction.
We justify choices by saying: we didn’t have time to explore all the facts; or we had information overload; or we mistook opinions for facts or just had decision fatigue. We mostly make ordinary decisions with little cause for the “woulda, coulda, shoulda” tape to play over and over again as it does with ‘big’ choices gone wrong.
The Dhammapada is a collection of verses attributed to Shakyamuni Buddha. One may view them as the ethical teachings of the Buddha. These verses are about the mind, and through its actions (kamma), it is the chief architect of one’s happiness and suffering, both in this life and beyond.
The paired verse at the beginning of this issue of the Buddha Post shows there are two major ways of relating to how the choice we make influences our lives: “as a wise person, who is heedful enough to make the necessary effort to train their own mind to be a skillful architect; and as a fool, who is heedless and sees no reason to train the mind.”
So we have signposts, but are they relevant? The teachings have stood the test of time. As the Buddha said, each one of us must decide for our self if these teachings are valid.
Are these verses possible to use as a guide to live a life with less suffering in the 21st century? As anyone who tried to drop 10% body weight per doctor’s order knows, this is easier said than done. Imagine how much more difficult it is to train the mind compared to just counting calories and exercising. For many, these verses are like the North Star, they point to a path that is rational and observable. Those of us on the path know in our hearts the teachings are true. We make the effort knowing all the time of the all-embracing acceptance of “come as you are” teaching of Amida Buddha.
Namo Amida Butsu. In Gassho,
Rev. Anita
rev.anita.cbt@outlook.com
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