Friendliness

Friendliness

A talk given at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin on July 16, 2004.

Friendliness

  • Different definitions of positive and negative emotions from the points of view of scientists and Buddhists
  • Friendliness from a Buddhist standpoint
  • How to increase the attitude of friendliness through meditation
    • Meditation on equanimity
    • Mediation on considering the kindness of others
  • Reduce bias and judgemental attitudes which leads to open-heartedness and friendliness
  • How we are all interdependent
  • What friendliness is not

Emotional Health 02: Friendliness (download)

Questions and answers

  • Thought patterns behind emotions
  • Buddhist view of fear and its relation to anger
  • Effective social activism without anger
  • “Good” and “evil” are not external forces
  • How to work with anger in a beneficial way
  • Suicide’s effect on rebirth

Emotional Health 02: Friendliness Q&A (download)

Part 1: Discontent and contentment
Part 3: The creator of happiness and suffering

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.

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