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FACE TO FACE | EASTERN HORIZON 43

possible during life’s activities, it can be so helpful. It’s Ven. Amy: A good start is to avoid excessive criticism of
essential today—more than ever. others—unless there’s a constructive way to do it with
compassionate wisdom. In our tradition, we refer to the
Benny: Each morning when we wake up, what’s a ten non-virtues, which we try to avoid: harming, stealing,
good practice to help us start the day positively? sexual misconduct, lying, divisive speech, harsh speech,
And how can we make this a consistent habit? gossip, covetousness, ill-will, and wrong views.

Ven. Amy: Here’s a simple 5-minute exercise I find very When others engage in what might be considered “bad
helpful upon waking: office politics,” we can choose not to participate—yet
without judgment. Instead, we might offer a positive
• 2 minutes: Reflect on the positive circumstances of comment about someone or even choose to remain silent.
your life. For example, relish having relatively clean
air to breathe or clean water to drink straight from During challenging meetings, I bring to mind the
the faucet. Just the fact that your body and mind Four Immeasurables, a profound yet simple prayer
are functioning is amazing—one day they won’t that cultivates limitless love, compassion, joy, and
be. Having loving family and friends is wonderful. equanimity.
Having access to decent public education, good
infrastructure, and the basics of food, clothing, and On a deeper level, a consistent home meditation
shelter is a huge luxury for many people. Let the practice helps ease stress and allows us to analyze office
appreciation soak through your body and mind. interactions in a more peaceful environment. You can
rehearse more positive responses “on the cushion” so
This is an unconventional way of meditating on a they arise more naturally at work.
traditional topic in the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan
Buddhism: the Precious Human Rebirth. Starting the One helpful practice is Engaging with a Challenging
day with this reflection gives us a buoyant cushion Person, which is part of my “Dealing with Negative
to engage in a spiritual path aimed at dismantling Emotions” course available on YouTube via my website.
delusions or imbalances in the mind. We can also reflect It involves exploring the perceived negative aspects of
on our own good qualities—this is a powerful antidote someone and broadening your view to see them more
to low self-esteem and depression. compassionately.

• 2 minutes: Reflect on impermanence and death. It’s And remember—we live in samsara (from Sanskrit, “to
sobering, yet essential for motivating us to make the turn,” denoting cyclic existence). As long as we’re caught
most of each day. in Saṃsāra, there will be problems. But we can commit
• 1 minute: Set a strong motivation to direct all ourselves to liberation!
activities of body, speech, and mind toward
something positive that will help us attain Having a good motivation of bodhicitta and practicing
enlightenment so we can benefit all beings. the “good heart” is always helpful. Finally, contemplating
emptiness, the profound view of the ultimate nature of
Leave a note by your bed, bathroom mirror, or fridge reality, is the best remedy.
to remind you until it becomes automatic through
consistent practice. Benny: What about studying the Dharma? Some
traditions suggest we should focus only on
Benny: At the workplace, there’s both good and meditation and avoid scholarly study. What’s your
bad politics. How can one practice Dharma at work view?
so we’re not influenced by negative politics and
instead rise above them?