Others choose how they act towards me . . . (Click image for video)

Replace  not just painful thoughts 

but also enjoyable thoughts with “Amituofo.” 

Most of us are aware of the dangers of negative thoughts like those arising from anger, fear, or sadness. Negative thoughts are unsettling and if left unchecked can become debilitating. So it’s easy to see why we need to replace them with “Amituofo.”

But why replace thoughts of satisfaction, say after accomplishing a difficult task?

Why replace our amused laughter at something a co-worker said, or replace pleasure when listening to a favorite piece of music?

The risk of experiencing such seemingly harmless emotions is that innocent thoughts of appreciation often morph into attachments. Our satisfaction grows into pride as we now make it a quest to garner praise instead of doing a task well. Pleasure from a well-played piece of music could become an attachment, and when we desire more we could forget our cultivation.

So we need to remember that we can appreciate the good things that come to us, but then return to “Amituofo.”

When realizing we failed to react compassionately . . . (Click image for video)

Not being able to do something 

one hundred percent 

doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try at all. 

Imagine a casual discussion on food between two people.

When asked what she eats, the vegan replies that she eats a plant-based diet, which means she doesn’t eat meat, dairy, or eggs. Asked why, she explains how animal agriculture causes suffering and killing.

The other person, a meat-eater, retorts that plants are living beings, so vegans still cause killing.

Sadly, this is correct. We live in samsara, in the world the Buddha said was called Endurance. To acquire food, shelter, and other living necessities, we all are responsible for the death of others, be they animal or plant. In the face of this realization, it would be easy to throw up one’s hands in frustration.

But just because we can’t do something perfectly doesn’t mean we give up trying.

Yes, for us to live, others must die. We cannot change this reality. But what we can change is how many beings we harm. And how many we save.