Working with Mind
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445EPleasure and PainInvestigate the experience of practicing equanimity with naturally-arising pleasurable and unpleasurable experiences; and develop some patience and resilience with discomfort and non-attachment toward pleasure.
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446EPraise and BlameAnalyze the role that praise and blame play in human motivation; evaluate the role of praise and blame in your own motivations; and aspire to act with a motivation free from craving approval or fearing criticism.
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452EStillness PracticesAnalyze various stillness practices, evaluate their value in daily life, and implement discerning choices about energy expenditure, recognizing that sometimes the best option is to do nothing.
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456ESense RestraintAnalyze the Buddha’s teachings on sense restraint; evaluate how sensory input influences mental states, thoughts, and emotions; and develop the habit of pausing before reacting to sensory experiences.
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457EWise AttentionAnalyze the distinction between wise and unwise attention in personal experience; evaluate how different types of mental focus either support or hinder insight development; and implement specific techniques for cultivating wise attention during challenging emotional states or decision-making situations.
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421EGain and LossImplement a positive, playful approach to competition without attachment to outcomes; practice observing and releasing arising emotions without dwelling on them; and create expressions of goodwill toward opponents.
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426EEight Worldly Dharmas: OverviewAnalyze the eight worldly concerns by categorizing specific life experiences into the four opposing pairs, evaluate how attachment to these conditions creates cycles of hope and fear that perpetuate samsara, and synthesize understanding by developing equanimity practices that demonstrate freedom from dependence on external circumstances for well-being.
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436EThe Story of the Frog in the WellImplement practices that cultivate an expansive, “bird’s eye view” perspective, and analyze the frog-in-the-well parable to illustrate the limitations of narrow viewpoints, and to remember that a bigger perspective is possible.
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408EFame and AnonymityEvaluate personal motivations regarding fame and notoriety, and implement actions that are free from both craving recognition and fearing obscurity.