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37 Practices of the Bodhisattva - verse 8
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Ken McLeod continues his commentary on the 37 Practices of the Bodhisattva with Verse 8. Watch the other videos here.
8
The suffering in the lower realms is really hard to endure.
The Sage says it is the result of destructive actions.
For that reason, even if your life is at risk,
Don’t engage in destructive actions — this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
What are your experiences of destructive emotions taking you to the "lower realms"? How long after you experience destructive emotions do you see the consequences?
Momentum is an important factor here. Yes, with regular practice we develop a certain familiarity with being at peace with all the "stuff", not reacting to it. And when we don't react, the stuff often, as you say, evaporates into thin air. And it's very much a process of developing familiarity with this way of experiencing life. The Tibetan word for meditation means "to make familiar".
The more regularly I meditate, the more my desire to engage in destructive actions or participate in destructive emotions evaporates into thin air. As if those inclinations had never "really" existed, but were part of a delusion from which I have woken up. So I feel much happier now, and more at peace than ever before.