Self-Critique versus Blaming Others!
A good friend asked:
1: How can we avoid self blame, when things are not right?
2: How can we get rid of the feeling of spiritual inadequacy?
Answer 1:
Blaming (whether of oneself,
or others) contains a stint of hate/aversion,
that makes blaming quite
unsuitable as a vehicle for reconstructive purposes…
Critique/good advice (whether of one-self, or others) should
better be based
on these 5 principles given by the blessed Buddha:
[1] "Do I think/speak at the right time, or not?
[2] "Do I think/speak of actual facts, or not?
[3] "Do I think/speak gently or harshly?
[4] "Do I think/speak long-term advantageous thoughts/words or
not?
[5] "Do I think/speak with a kind heart, or
internally/externally malicious?
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/ptf/dhamma/sacca/sacca4/samma-vaca/index.html#admonish
Answer 2: “Spiritual inadequacy” can be
utilized in 2
widely different ways:
A:
Skillfully:
To urge one to enhance or stabilize the effort by giving a sense
of urgency!
B: Un-skillfully:
By straining mind by self-blaming and self-hating disabling all
good efforts…
Whenever state B is recognized,
then redirect mind to state A. This can indeed
elevate the mind by adding
purposefulness! to
even a ‘bad’, unwanted, wrong,
and displeasing state by inducing a sense of –meaning-
even with the absurd!
Like: “Ahh what an excellent training ground and thus
opportunity for progress
is not this frustrating event!” Or:
“OK fine, but there is definitely room for improvement here…”
;-)
However:
The utility and efficacy of self-critique depends on the
individual:
1: The mostly greedy, lusty and desirous
one, will tend towards complacency.
2: The mostly angry, & irritated one,
will tend towards denial or self-hatred.
3: The mostly confused & uncertain,
will tend towards neglect or hesitation.
Unfortunately: In either of these 3 cases, the final result is
the very same:
The mental defilements are left unabated
in dominating the mind, whether it
is due to carelessness(1), opposition(2), or disregard &
vacillation(3).
Why so? The problem (inner & mental) is not
SEEN as it
really IS, to the
degree
it actually is present
in mind, thought, speech and behaviour, due to grossly
lapsing Awareness (Sati)…
Lapsing
Awareness are periods of:
Mind seeing mind for split-seconds or a few seconds at most…
interrupted by:
Mind looking elsewhere for
minutes/hours/days/months/years/lives…
As Ven.
Luang Pu Atulo aptly noted:
The Mind sent Outside is the Cause of
Suffering.
The Effect of the Mind sent Outside is
Suffering.
The Mind seeing the Mind is the Path: The Noble Way!
The Effect of Mind seeing Mind, is
the End of Suffering.
http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/solid_siam.htm
On
Establishing Awareness
(Satipatthāna)
on the 4 frames of reference:
Awareness (Sati):
What is Right Awareness?,
Four_Foundations_of_Awareness,
Awareness_Sati,
Causes of Sati,
Sati Studies,
Sati_in_Solitude,
Noble_Awareness,
Awareness_Analysis,
Clear Comprehension,
Feeding_Awareness,
One_and_only_Way,
Accumulation_of_Advantage,
4 Foundations of Awareness,
Sati_a_la_Anuruddha,
Accumulating_Advantage,
Mindfulness,
Careful_and_Rational_Attention,
Enlightened_and_Awakening,
Causes_of_Emergence,
First_Disillusion_then_Delight,
Clear_and_Aware_Comprehension,
Crucial_Foundation,
Desireless_is_Deathless,
Determining_Duration,
Final_Knowledge,
Sati_Summary,
Right_On,
Straight_View,
Sharing_Supreme,
Evading_the_Present,
The_Awareness_Ability,
The_Four_Postures,
Phenomena_is_Mental_States,
1_Producing_4,
Mighty_Magic_Majesty,
Sati_Acute,
Seeing_the_Possible,
Clever_Presence,
Thousand_Aeons,
Winning_Awareness,
Aware_and_Composed,
Aware_and_Settled
