Buddhism Taught Me...How to see others

Buddhism Taught Me....How to See Others

Bhikkhu Bodhi: 

“The mind is deliberately kept at the level of bare attention, a detached observation of what is happening within us and around us in the present moment. In the practice of right mindfulness the mind is trained to remain in the present, open, quiet and alert, contemplating the present event. All judgments and interpretations have to be suspended, or if they occur, registered and dropped.”

Being able to see others side of  the situation before you begin to judge them is the most important thing that Buddhism has taught me. To overcome the everyday responsibilities I am supposed to uphold as a student, an employee, a family member, and a friend and to look into a situation with an open mind may be the toughest thing to do. But when learned and used in the right situations right mindfulness is a special talent that should be shared with everyone so they can gain the wisdom and insight that has been spread in order to allow for peace and joy to be achieved. 

Through practicing seeing myself in other people’s shoes it will help me to see that the way my mind works in a dream when I’m asleep is the same as how it works when I’m awake. It’s just thinking. And just as easily as I can wake up from a dream and realize it was just a dream and forget about it, I can practice Right Mindfulness when I’m awake and deal with my thinking mind as if it were a dream, and let thoughts come and go, holding onto the good thoughts and letting go of the bad thoughts. I feel that on my journey through life the practice of Right Mindfulness and seeing the other side of situations before I put myself into situations I cannot control will and has already been the most important aspect of Buddhism that will help me overcome many of the problems that will arise in my future. Allowing myself to grow and strengthen in order to aid myself to become the person I know I can ultimately become.