Ethical Self-Discipline
Outer sila – virtuous behavior, nonviolence, helpfulness, honesty, and integrity
Inner sila – being straightforward, unselfish, tolerance, humble, unbiased, authentic, and true to your highest self and deepest principles
Secret sila – intuiting your innate purity of heart, your perfect and complete Buddha nature, the basic goodness at the core of your luminous being
The Four Gates:
Generosity
Outer dana – giving or sharing things with others, our deeds and the words that we say or write to others, our time and energy
Inner dana – cultivating non attachment, acceptance, and contentment, so that we are more open to whatever the needs of others might be
Secret dana – surrendering to what is, living with wide-open mind, heart, and hands, releasing the amazing inexhaustible energy of our suchness, our Buddha nature, into our lives and into the world
If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
- The Dalai Lama
Renunciation
Outer nekkhamma– relinquishing a habit or possession, abstaining from a food, drink, or activity
Inner nekkhamma– the thought of letting go, the impulse towards generosity, recognizing contentment, abandoning craving, renouncing inner habits that cause tension and conflict such as greed and hate
Secret nekkhamma implies the profound knowledge that in truth we possess nothing.
The first step in the practice of renunciation is finding we have something to renounce. What we have to renounce is our delusion. Normal life is often filled with delusion, anxiety, and pain. Patience and compassion give rise to the mind of renunciation, the willingness to let go. Then actual letting go happens, is realized.
– Reb Anderson
Being willing to be me means letting go of me