Buddhist Boot Camp
If you've ever taken a puppy for a walk, you know that it runs after everything that sparks its curiosity. After we train it to obey some simple commands, however, it grows to be our obedient and intuitive best friend.
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The mind can be just as active and difficult to control as a puppy, yet we've never trained it to listen to us. Why haven't we done this? Our mind chases random thoughts, jumps to conclusions, and has a hard time staying focused. We have so little control of it, in fact, that sometimes we can't even turn it off at the end of the day. If it were a puppy, we would be very upset!
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We know that Buddhism is about training the mind, and that there are many methods of doing so. The second principle of Buddhist Boot Camp is that our thoughts become words, and our words become actions. To train the mind, however, Buddhist Boot Camp suggests working backwards. Start by changing your actions, be mindful of your speech, and your thoughts will eventually follow.
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First, recognize and eliminate your bad habits (whatever they may be). If you habitually act out of anger, for example, then there's no fertile soil in your mind for the seed of gratitude to grow. To think positively, your actions must be in line with your intentions. Be part of the solution by not being part of the pollution, for it isn't enough to simply study Buddhism, we must practice what we learn!
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Training the mind requires a lot of self-control, determination, and freedom from anger (whether you follow this particular method, transcendental meditation, yoga, or any other approach). Buddhist Boot Camp is not here to necessarily teach you anything new, but to encourage you to put into practice what you already know; to point you in the direction of gratitude and unconditional love.
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We can't just think about compassion and kindness, we must BE compassionate and kind.
Now let's get to work!
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