Buddhist rule re: Worrying.
I tweeted this casually awhile back, and it got more RTs than all my other posts combined, today. So, guess it warrants being made into a short, sweet blog post in and of itself.
The Buddhist rule re Worrying is simple: don’t.
Or, as Shantideva said more eloquently,
If it can be fixed; why worry?
If it can’t be fixed, what’s the point of worrying?
Or, more properly: “If a cure exists, why worry? If no cure exists, what use is there to worry?”
Bonus:
Incorrect source, offensive, or found a typo? Or do you want to write for Elephant?
Hey that Buddha was a smart guy, we hear this in many of todays modern preaching. That is why it is just as valuable today as it was yesterday. What me worry – Alfred E. Newman (Mad one of my favs) Worrying is unproductive so don't waste time with it.
Jon
I think I'll tape this to my wall!
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I'm in love. Best. Post. Ever.
Always loved this teaching – nice presentation of it!
I have this up at work. Puts is all in prospective.
love.
Very much an over simplification… When I worry, its usually because I'm worrying about whether or not I'll be able to pull of the fix… Which may not be a legitimate reason to worry, but this still doesn't account for it.
But I love it anyway!
Exactly. When I worry it's because I don't KNOW if it can be fixed.
Pema is the balls. She could tell me whaling was ok, and I would buy it.
The brain does not do negative commands.
If I tell you, “Do not think of an orange elephant,” you think of an orange elephant.
That is because the mind drops the “not” and acts on the rest.
So, if I or someone else, including yourself, tell you, “Do not worry,” I might as well be telling you to worry.
What is much more effective is a constructive diversion.
Asking myself, “Can it be fixed?” or “What can I do to fix it?” begins the path to this constructive diversion.
It leaves the mire of worry and begins the path to a more pragmatic task of problem resolution.
It is possible to let go of disturbing thoughts — like patterns of neurotic worrying. In a practical sense, that is what meditation is all about. It is not necessary either that thoughts be driven out of the mind (as if the thoughts themselves were the problem). The problem is attachment to thoughts — the emotional investment that all have in certain ideas (the hope of becoming rich or successful, the desire to avoid having others think badly of us, the fear of loss, etc., etc., etc.).
Think about it. Why don't we worry very much about the possibility that someone else has cancer? Just a little bit of loosening of attachment to ourselves as the most important thing (looking out for number one) really helps calm neurotic worries.
And this doesn't mean that you can't take action to "fix" something. And without the worry, the action is much more likely to be based on wisdom and to be more effective.
The brain does not do negative commands.
of course it does. "do not run in front of that bus."
try it next time you see a bus.
This is really good, thanks for saying it. I think it illustrates the point of 'No self' very much.
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Deeply meaningful and leaves behind subtle sense of relief.
Very much an over simplification… When I worry, its usually because I'm worrying about whether or not I'll be able to pull of the fix… Which may not be a legitimate reason to worry, but this still doesn't account for it.
But I love it anyway!
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I'm the world's biggest worrier. I am taping this to my fridge, and maybe tatoo on my hand so I don't forget.
[...] that’s natural and okay. Suppressing anxiety makes it worse. So remember: worry is useless (read this). Prepare what you can prepare, and there’s tips below that will be updated. Beyond that, [...]
Don’t worry about being perfect. Just be human. I agree about not worrying, but for most of us that will be very difficult. Worry comes in many forms, it is an excuse to not be responsible. We must be in full charge at all times. To assign responsibility for any difficulty to an external factor, or to another person, or to another person's irrational behavior, is itself and irrationality. There is nothing wrong with any human except the results of mistreatment. Only mistreatment makes humans into problems. Stop mistreatment and problems will be stopped.
what a bunch of BS
Love those. Thank you. Never knew where that expression, "Lillies of the Field," came from.
Yours,
Waylon
Beautiful!