Episode 147: Mahayana Mentality

[This episode originally aired on Nov. 13, 2023] One function of meditation practice is the quality of exposing and uncovering what's going on inside our thoughts and feelings • when we practice, the basic fundamental pattern that becomes obvious is how much our thinking revolves around our own needs and wants and desires • we look at what is there without judgment, without being embarrassed, without trying to prove anything • all of this provides ground for what Trungpa Rinpoche referred to as cultivating a Mahayana mentality — a mentality of openness, love, wisdom, and compassion • in cultivating a Mahayana mentality, four factors come into play • the first is affection for the world • this affection is not based on picking and choosing, but is simple affection and respect for the world, as messy as it is, as difficult as it is • the second factor is called faith in the right situations • faith here refers to faith in what we cannot grasp, faith in the unconditional nature out of which everything arises • the third factor is compassion for sentient beings: working with sentient beings, very simply and directly • we may find that working with others is the best, most effective way of working with ourselves • the fourth factor is bravery; simply put, it's being willing to put up with loneliness, pain, and discomfort • by cultivating these four, we learn to step over our hesitation and put our affection, faith, and compassion into action.