The Art of Being Human

Everybody wants praise and nobody wants blame. Everybody wants to be thought of well and nobody wants to be thought of poorly. These characteristic human concerns preoccupy us daily and can cause a lot of anxiety and confusion. But Buddhist teachings tell us this doesn’t have to be so.

At this week’s Tricycle Retreat, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo teaches on the “Eight Worldly Concerns,” the cause of so much of our suffering, and how to find liberation from them. The Eight Worldly Concerns, as taught by Jetsunma, are: Gain and Loss, Praise and Blame, Good Reputation and Bad Reputation, and Pleasure and Pain.
While the Tibetan Buddhist teachings on the Eight Worldly Concerns are centuries old, they are as as useful now as they were back then. In this week’s talk, Jetsunma explains:

In the West we have this saying, “Sticks and stones can break my bones but words can never hurt me.” The Tibetans have a saying that can be interpreted as, “Sticks and stones can only break my bones, but harsh words can tear a man’s heart to pieces.” This is true! Couples should remember this. We need to not only work with how receive criticism, but also to learn to be very skillful in our speech so that even if we need to correct others we can do it in a skillful way.

Special offer for July:
• Join the Tricycle Community at any member level. To participate in Jetsunma’s Tricycle Retreat, you must join at the Supporting or Sustaining Member level.
• Purchase Into the Heart of Life online via the Tricycle site, and receive a 20% discount plus free shipping. [Shipping charges apply to Canadian and international orders. Your book will arrive in the mail within 2-4 weeks.]
• Download your free e-book and start reading immediately.
• Join Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo in Tricycle Retreats; you can join at any time.