I was recently part of an online meditation in which the presenter reminded us of a Sutra we need right now. One that I need.
The verse has an explanation that goes like this: The opposite of a clear mind is “animosity, cruelty, jealousy, self-righteousness” which lead to violence and pain, and which hurt us and others. The antidote to those harmful and mind clouding aspects is “friendliness, compassion, happiness, non-judgment in our daily practice” (from The Secret of the Yoga Sutra: Samadhi Pada, Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, 2014) These qualities, in daily practice, bring us to our best self, a calm self, a self that does not harm others.
I am not a Buddhist, and did not know this Sutra or thread. I have high respect for the path of Buddhism and cultivate some of its practices-- like meditation, passionate and compassionate detachment, and yoga—that go well with my Christian commitment. This Sutra is a thread in a collection of aphorisms set into chapters. The Samadhi Pada chapters are directed toward enlightenment of the mind. To restate the idea: the enemy of a transparent mind is animosity, cruelty, jealousy, self-righteousness, whereas the antidote to these are friendliness, compassion, happiness, and non-judgment in our daily practice. Our daily practice of good things is what keeps our mind clear to understand our true purpose and to do it.
The idea is not so far from a Christian text: “Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8).
In the context of a national presidential election that is proving to be extremely and painfully divisive, it is hard to keep a clear mind of compassion and generosity for those with whom we disagree. It is infinitely easier to be angry, combative, or hateful with those we think are wrong in their mindset. People have certainly done that to me and it might be easy to return the sentiment of animosity. The call to think on what is honorable and true is harder than it sounds. But the transparent mind, or even faithfulness, does not invite us to judge others. It invites us to focus on our path, on our practice, on the integrity of our own life and witness. Faithfulness to our spiritual and ethical traditions, however we define and experience them, invites us to transparent self-awareness, the humility of knowing who we are before God, neither more or less loved than anybody else, and to live and relate to others from that giftedness.
In the context of the COVID days when we are trying our best to protect others and ourselves, not to do harm, and to keep our spirits up, it is no surprise when we are cranky, tired, annoyed, generally unclear, anxious, and reactive in our thinking. The solution is to focus on the roots of our own goodness, to repeat the practices that express who we want to be, individually and as a community—friendliness, compassion, happiness, non-judgment, truth, honor, justice, purity.
The point is not to be perfect, but as the sutra implies, as does the letter to the Philippians, to make seeking the good an every day, every moment practice, in our prayers, in our reflections and work, compassion in our interactions with others, in the way we think of others and act toward them. In this way, we govern ourselves, we create community that is good and that has opportunity to care for all. In this way we focus on what matters most to us, taking responsibility for the only things for which we are accountable. And in this way, we grow together, moving from isolation to community, and from darkness to light. May we continue daily to move in our minds and hearts, and lives, from darkness to light.
Dr. Janet Fuller is chaplain at Elon University. Contact her at jfuller3@elon.edu.
This article originally appeared on Times-News: Clear minds and pure hearts
