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Judgmental mind, kindness and compassion

Judgmental mind, kindness and compassion

Part of a series of teachings given at a weekend retreat on environmental activism at Sravasti Abbey, August 31 to September 3, 2007.

Review of judgmental attitude discussion

  • The happiness and suffering of friends, strangers, enemies

Activism with altruism 06a (download)

Proper understanding of kindness and compassion

  • Kindness of our parents and others
  • Kindness is not weakness
  • Foundation of compassion is not being overwhelmed by suffering
  • Suffering and its causes

Activism with altruism 06b (download)

Questions and answers

  • Using equanimity to have compassion for both sides of an environmental problem
  • Having patience for our own actions that harm the environment
  • Recognition that everyone who invented items that are now polluting the environment had a good motivation to benefit people
  • Importance of bringing the Dharma to all sentient beings
  • Where does responsibility fit into the environmental issues and how do we avoid feeling like a victim?
  • What are the motivations we should remember when we wake up in the morning?

Activism with altruism 06: Q&A (download)

Venerable Thubten Chodron

Venerable Chodron emphasizes the practical application of Buddha’s teachings in our daily lives and is especially skilled at explaining them in ways easily understood and practiced by Westerners. She is well known for her warm, humorous, and lucid teachings. She was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 1977 by Kyabje Ling Rinpoche in Dharamsala, India, and in 1986 she received bhikshuni (full) ordination in Taiwan. Read her full bio.