Practical Applications:
1. Do not expose yourself to pornography – No matter what other people say, pornography is still prostitution. Even if some people justify it as having ‘professional contracts’ or consent from the actors, it is still a form of exploitation. Do not support any kind of pornography, in any medium. Pornography has only one goal – to stir sexual craving from its audience. If you want to master your senses and improve your ability to restrain yourself, then avoiding pornography is the best way to start.
2. Abstain from fantasizing sex with others – Many people think that fantasies are harmless, because these are all in the mind and these don’t really happen in reality. In Buddhism, the mind is actually where the only real …show more content…
Always remember that your integrity does not lie on the things that come as a result of a circumstance, but on your intentions. If you live your life with the intention of being truthful in every aspect, there is little temptation that can sway you into doing otherwise.
Practical Application:
1. Tell the truth, even if it might hurt other people – Just like the “Robin Hood mentality”, many people think that telling lies to protect others is virtuous. It isn’t. In fact, “protecting” other people from the truth makes them more vulnerable to suffering. Always stick to saying the truth, even though if it may cause others to feel bad about themselves. By doing so, you are giving them the freedom to act according to the true nature of the circumstance. If you try to hide the truth, the other people will act according to what you said, which may not be beneficial for them in the end.
Also, the truth will come out later, so the lies that you said may cause conflict in your relationship. No matter how hard the truth may be, reveal it as much as you can. This is when you will start to develop your sense of integrity. People will start trusting you because they will see how much you respect the truth. The more you practice the fourth precept, the more credible you will …show more content…
Half-truths are lies– In connection with the second application is the use of half-truths. Half-truths are distorted truths, making them a lie. It doesn’t matter what your end goal is, never use shortcuts when telling the truth.
4. Be truthful to yourself – People, when consumed by their desire to feel happiness, resort to rationalization, denial or repression when in stressful situations. When you practice rationalization, you try to justify situations according to conditions that are favorable to you. By doing this, you are filtering parts of the truth and only acknowledge those that will make you feel good about yourself. That distorts the truth and it will give you a skewed version of reality – one that is selfish.
When you are in denial, you refuse to accept the truth and convince yourself that it is actually a lie. Doing this also transforms the truth into something that it wasn’t. When you repress the truth, you pretend that it was ever in existence, which is a direct violation of the core virtues of mindfulness. Never hide the truth from yourself. Accept the truth as it is in every situation. In the later chapters, you will learn how you can come into terms with the present - ugly truths included - using
1. Do not expose yourself to pornography – No matter what other people say, pornography is still prostitution. Even if some people justify it as having ‘professional contracts’ or consent from the actors, it is still a form of exploitation. Do not support any kind of pornography, in any medium. Pornography has only one goal – to stir sexual craving from its audience. If you want to master your senses and improve your ability to restrain yourself, then avoiding pornography is the best way to start.
2. Abstain from fantasizing sex with others – Many people think that fantasies are harmless, because these are all in the mind and these don’t really happen in reality. In Buddhism, the mind is actually where the only real …show more content…
Always remember that your integrity does not lie on the things that come as a result of a circumstance, but on your intentions. If you live your life with the intention of being truthful in every aspect, there is little temptation that can sway you into doing otherwise.
Practical Application:
1. Tell the truth, even if it might hurt other people – Just like the “Robin Hood mentality”, many people think that telling lies to protect others is virtuous. It isn’t. In fact, “protecting” other people from the truth makes them more vulnerable to suffering. Always stick to saying the truth, even though if it may cause others to feel bad about themselves. By doing so, you are giving them the freedom to act according to the true nature of the circumstance. If you try to hide the truth, the other people will act according to what you said, which may not be beneficial for them in the end.
Also, the truth will come out later, so the lies that you said may cause conflict in your relationship. No matter how hard the truth may be, reveal it as much as you can. This is when you will start to develop your sense of integrity. People will start trusting you because they will see how much you respect the truth. The more you practice the fourth precept, the more credible you will …show more content…
Half-truths are lies– In connection with the second application is the use of half-truths. Half-truths are distorted truths, making them a lie. It doesn’t matter what your end goal is, never use shortcuts when telling the truth.
4. Be truthful to yourself – People, when consumed by their desire to feel happiness, resort to rationalization, denial or repression when in stressful situations. When you practice rationalization, you try to justify situations according to conditions that are favorable to you. By doing this, you are filtering parts of the truth and only acknowledge those that will make you feel good about yourself. That distorts the truth and it will give you a skewed version of reality – one that is selfish.
When you are in denial, you refuse to accept the truth and convince yourself that it is actually a lie. Doing this also transforms the truth into something that it wasn’t. When you repress the truth, you pretend that it was ever in existence, which is a direct violation of the core virtues of mindfulness. Never hide the truth from yourself. Accept the truth as it is in every situation. In the later chapters, you will learn how you can come into terms with the present - ugly truths included - using