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FEATURE | EASTERN HORIZON 35

to Turn Ill Will to Good Will,” at www.WiseBrain.org. As already existing wakeful, pure, peaceful, and radiant
a summary, those ways are listed here: awareness within yourself. In so doing, you renounce
worldly things and worldly pleasures. If they pass
Be mindful of the priming. through your awareness – a sunset, a child’s smile,
Practice non-contention. chocolate pudding, Beethoven’s 9th – fine; just don’t
Inspect the underlying trigger. cling to them as they disappear as all experiences do.
Be careful about attributing intent to others.
Put what happened in perspective. Renunciation is NOT asceticism, or privation for
Cultivate lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, privation’s sake. It is a joyous union with the path of
and equanimity. happiness that happens to include a relinquishing,
Practice generosity. casting off, abandoning, walking away from any seeking
Investigate ill will. at all of worldly gratifications.
Regard ill will as an affliction.
Settle into awareness of ill will, but don’t be identified At its heart, renunciation is simple: we just let go.
with it. Ajahn Chah: “If you let go a little, you will have a little
Accept the wound. happiness. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of
Do not cling to what you want. happiness. If you let go completely, you will be completely
Let go of the view that things are supposed to be a happy.”
certain way.
Release the sense of self. Other Good Intentions
Besides the three fundamental intentions above,
” . . . ill will is suppressed by the first jhana based what other aims or values would really serve you, and
on lovingkindness and eradicated by the path of others? How about:
nonreturning.”
Feeling more relaxed and calm
Resolve to meet mistreatment with lovingkindness. Deepening your well-being and capacity to contribute
Cultivate positive emotion. to others
Communicate. Working through something that’s been bothering you
Have faith that they will inherit their own karmas one Giving up an addiction or other unwholesome behavior
day. Coming to terms – and to peace – with a difficult life
Realize that some people will not get the lesson. situation, such as a major illness
Forgive. Or you could shoot for the stars and focus on a primary
purpose in life. Such as liberation, awakening, Nirvana,
Intention of renunciation enlightenment. Or abiding in love – all the time.
Renunciation is founded on a disenchantment with
the world and with experience, based on right view. Expressing Your Intentions
You see through all the possibilities of experience: you Once your intentions are clear, the next question
see their ephemeral, insubstantial, empty qualities, no is: How to express them?
matter how alluring or seemingly gratifying. You see the There are many ways, including
suffering embedded in the experience, the “trap,” as the
Buddha put it. And you see the happiness, peace, and As thoughts in your mind
love available in not chasing after pleasure or resisting As an image
pain. In writing
As a collage with words and images
Based on this clear seeing, you align yourself with the Through physical expression, posture, movement,
wisdom perspective and with the innate, prior, always dance