Daily Buddhist Practice:  Right View

"Those who view the unreal as real and the real as unreal reach not up to the real, mislead as they are." ~ The Buddha (Dhammapada 11) 

Mara is the embodiment of fear, confusion, and delusion in our lives.  

While portrayed as an actual entity that the Buddha challenged before his enlightenment, Mara is also referred to as the actions of our own mind.  

Our mind constantly deceives us and leads us to paths of wrong action.  

You may think of the unskillful actions created by yourself, and others, during this time as Mara.  

Mara is feeding off the anxiety, fear, and suffering like fuel to the flame.  Understanding this is occurring is the first step in dousing the three fires of delusion/confusion/ignorance, greed/sensual attachment, and aversion/anger.

The first step of the Buddha’s Eightfold Path is a good place to start with the current COVID-19 pandemic.  We must understand the nature of things is impermanent, that we are a temporary grouping (non-self/the five aggregates), and that fear is an illusion.  

Today's Focus: 

* Realize fear as being an illusion.  It is a manufactured response to uncertainty, love of the concept of ‘self’, and attachment to the idea ‘self’.

* Impermanence affects everything in life, and this is not always bad.  While we may see impermanence as “we will die one day”, it also means “things will end”.  While many things about COVID-19 are not yet known, it is likely to ‘end’ (even if that means there may be recurrences, like the seasonal flu).  Focus on not only are we impermanent, but our suffering, fear, and uncertainty is also impermanent.  

* Realizing the truths of Buddhism are “Right View” and can lead you away from the causes and effects that create the three fires (poisons).  

Today's Practice: 

* Begin each day reciting the Five Remembrances (see page 22) to help with humbling ourselves, and understanding that our ego is fabricated.  This will be part of your daily “exercises” to fortify your mind against Mara.  Through knowledge and realization, you can build your defense.

* Meditate at least once a day, starting with being mindful of the breath (refer to page 8).  If you are an advanced practitioner, you can add insight meditation to your daily practice by focusing on the suffering, fear, and confusion people are facing, and it is causes as it relates to Buddhist understanding.  

* Realize the collective suffering.  The pandemic is the latest in a series of suffering that sentient beings face.  Your view of it in this way will let you understand we are all in this together, and that we need to support one another through loving kindness/compassion. 

Learn more about the Eightfold Path:

https://alanpeto.com/buddhism/understanding-eightfold-path/

Video daily practice:

https://youtu.be/AveK4mAP5NQ

View the entire 14-day playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxlqwF6P6GE...

Free 14 Day Buddhist Planner for Buddhists:  https://gum.co/BuddhistPlannerCOVID

Join us for a daily Buddhist practice via Zoom.  Details here:  

https://www.facebook.com/events/126631375746490

Your hosts:

*** More on Alan Peto: https://alanpeto.com/about

*** More on Bhikkhu Sanathavihari Los-Angeles:  https://www.casadebhavana.com/

Teaching in graphic comes from Venerable Master Hsing Yun