Discouragement and perfectionism in virtue

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dpcalder
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Discouragement and perfectionism in virtue

Post by dpcalder »

I am trying to not only keep the five precepts, but to diligently guard the six sense bases but, living the householder life, I often find myself backsliding. I become discouraged to the point of despair when this happens, although I do rebound back and I believe I have made some progress in eliminating attachments, cravings and clingings and I believe I am progressively learning to unify my mind more and more on guarding the six sense bases.

Is there encouragement in the Pali Canon for people who are struggling to remain virtuous in spite of sometimes backsliding to a degree?
sunnat
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Post by sunnat »

Continually develop and expand the understanding (from direct experience of practice) of that which is not mine, I or my-self by noting 'there is backsliding, there is discouragement, there is perfectionism, etc' and see how long these phenomena last, see their passing. Keep working.
SarathW
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Re: Discouragement and perfectionism in virtue

Post by SarathW »

I can't find the Sutta reference but these are the antidotes for breaking five precepts.

- Killing - Practice Brahmavihara (Metta, Karuna, Muditha and Upekkha)
- Stealing - Practice generosity
- Inappropriate sensual pleasures - Practice meditation
- Lie - Practice telling the truth
- Consume alcohol - Practice mindfulness

Another way to avoid breaking the five precepts is by knowing the gratification, drawbacks, and escape of breaking the five precepts.
What is good news in your ccse is that you are already practicing some of these. (mindfulness)
“As the lamp consumes oil, the path realises Nibbana”
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Lucas Oliveira
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Re: Discouragement and perfectionism in virtue

Post by Lucas Oliveira »

Verse 122. Merit Grows Little By Little

Think lightly not of goodness,
‘It will not come to me’,
for by the falling of water drops
a water jar is filled.
The sage with goodness fills himself,
he soaks up little by little.


Image

Explanation: Some tend to think that virtue can be taken lightly, and that virtue practiced is not likely to bring about any spectacular good results. This view is not quite correct. The good done by an individual accumulates little by little. The process is very much like the filling of a water-pot, drop by drop. As time goes on, the little acts of virtue accumulate, until the doer of good is totally filled with it.

http://www.buddhanet.net/dhammapada/d_evil.htm

Verse 239. Purify Yourself Gradually

Little by little, time after time,
successively then let the sage
blow away all blemishes
just as a smith with silver.

Image

Explanation: Wise persons, moment by moment, little by little, remove the blemishes off their own selves, just like the smiths removing impurities off silver.

http://www.buddhanet.net/dhammapada/d_impure.htm


:anjali:
I participate in this forum using Google Translator. http://translate.google.com.br

http://www.acessoaoinsight.net/
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WindDancer
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Re: Discouragement and perfectionism in virtue

Post by WindDancer »

Based on my experience, the suggestions from sunnat and SarathW have been very helpful.

A couple of other things come to mind which I have found helpful. I have found I am uplifted, inspired and encouraged by listening to Dhamma talks about the 10 Paramis. While doing my best to maintain a basic application of effort toward living all 10 Paramis, I have found it helpful to focus special attention on one or more of the Paramis which I feel particularly inspired to study and practice. As I learn and grow in these areas, I find that I naturally start to apply effort towards some of the other supporting Paramis.

It has helped me to learn that things like clinging, craving and attachment arise based on causes and conditions. I have found it helpful to listen to Dhamma talks on both Dependent Origination and Liberative Dependent Arising. The essence of these teachings is that certain conditions naturally lead to the next link in the chain of Dependent Origination or Liberative Dependent Arising. All we need to do is to wholeheartedly engage in the practice of where we are on the link of the chains and we will naturally find ourselves evolving to the next link in the chain.

Though there are many places where you might find talks on these topics, I have included links to a few series of talks which I have been studying. I hope that they are as helpful to you as they have been to me.

https://www.audiodharma.org/series/1/talk/7118/

https://www.audiodharma.org/retreats/100

https://www.audiodharma.org/retreats/129


With Metta,

WindDancer
Live Gently....
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Dhammanando
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Re: Discouragement and perfectionism in virtue

Post by Dhammanando »

Kāmada Sutta, SN 2.6

[Kamada:]
So hard it is to do, Lord,
It's so very hard to do!

[Buddha:]
But still they do what's hard to do,
Who steady themselves with virtue.
For one pursuing homelessness,
Content arrives, and with it joy.

[Kamada:]
So hard it is to get, Lord,
This content of which you speak!

[Buddha:]
But still they get what's hard to get,
Who delight in a tranquil mind.
The mind of those, both day and night,
Delights in its development.

[Kamada:]
So hard it is to tame, Lord,
This mind of which you speak!

[Buddha:]
But still they tame what's hard to tame,
Who delight in senses at peace.
Cutting through mortality's net,
The nobles, Kamada, proceed.

[Kamada:]
So hard it is to go, Lord,
On this path that gets so rough!

[Buddha:]
Still nobles, Kamada, proceed
On paths both rough and hard to take.
Those who are less than noble fall
On their heads when the path gets rough.
But for nobles the path is smooth
— For nobles smooth out what is rough!

(Olendzki tr.)

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .olen.html

Other translations...

viewtopic.php?t=21642
Yena yena hi maññanti,
tato taṃ hoti aññathā.


In whatever way they conceive it,
It turns out otherwise.
(Sn. 588)
jwalker
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Re: Discouragement and perfectionism in virtue

Post by jwalker »

drop by drop a bucket is filled. Don't give up and be kind to yourself. Your post reminded me of the Sona Sutta -

https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitak ... .than.html
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Mkoll
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Re: Discouragement and perfectionism in virtue

Post by Mkoll »

AN 2.19 wrote:"Abandon what is unskillful, monks. It is possible to abandon what is unskillful. If it were not possible to abandon what is unskillful, I would not say to you, 'Abandon what is unskillful.' But because it is possible to abandon what is unskillful, I say to you, 'Abandon what is unskillful.' If this abandoning of what is unskillful were conducive to harm and pain, I would not say to you, 'Abandon what is unskillful.' But because this abandoning of what is unskillful is conducive to benefit and pleasure, I say to you, 'Abandon what is unskillful.'

"Develop what is skillful, monks. It is possible to develop what is skillful. If it were not possible to develop what is skillful, I would not say to you, 'Develop what is skillful.' But because it is possible to develop what is skillful, I say to you, 'Develop what is skillful.' If this development of what is skillful were conducive to harm and pain, I would not say to you, 'Develop what is skillful.' But because this development of what is skillful is conducive to benefit and pleasure, I say to you, 'Develop what is skillful.'"
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
Namo tassa bhagavato arahato samma sambuddhassa
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