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We can all be winners

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Cathal Costello Costello

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Cathal Costello Costello

I learned something from a nun that i felt like sharing. I just stopped a moment and asked myself why does she always ask for me to give other people things she makes/cooks?

I’m not even sure she thinks about the way i’ll explain but she always makes something and then asks someone to offer it, instead of offering it herself which is interesting because here in thailand merit and merit making is such a big deal that anyone will happily jump on the immediate opportunity to ‘gain merit’ and I was confused about her but eventually realized that for her, her generosity is that she gives other people the opportunity to practice generosity, she has also said she’d been in temples for 17 years so she probably picked up a few good things and that in itself showed me that giving others the opporunity to grow is such a big deal, so profound that it goes right into the fundamental design of the sangha relationship to the laypeople, it is entirely about support, about helping each other from the point we’re at, whereas in the west it’s about who can win, who can be the best and who can be perfect, and if that’s true then the dissatisfaction of not being good enough is going to affect us and everyone around us, instead of happily enjoying where we are at and happily practicing the good way.

It seems when it comes to the Dhamma, it is impossible to teach in one sense, but it is possible to teach the intellectual stuff and give people an environment to realize it themselves.

We can in many ways refine our behaviours to both completely benefit from each other instead of the western way that always someone will be a loser, why don’t we just all be winners?

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5 responses to “We can all be winners”

  1. Alexander Hipple
    Alexander Hipple

    Thank you so much for sharing these words, friend! :):):):):)

  2. Brett Miller
    Brett Miller

    By the way, knowing there are other practitioners doing good deeds and also practicing anapanasati for happiness goes a long way to helping us remember we are actually all winners. If we let our practice lapse, even for a few mind moments, its easy to forget.

    Sometimes, we even need to set, remember to be happy timers. 😊

  3. Brett Miller
    Brett Miller

    Thank you Cathal. I learmed from this post. This goes along with this morning, where the thoughts that came up were happy but useful ideas around our Sila practice, lately it has become apparent in the practice here, that the ability to naturally manifest the viriya/energy for Right effort depends on a Sangha to aid our efforts in Sila Vissudhi that allow us to develop Right Intention, that goes into our speech and Actions. It helps so much to see examples of people going kind and generous things.

    What an amazing observation Cathal, and thank you for sharing.

    As I observe my wife in the medical field, rather than obsessing on the resistance and/or stress she may encounter there, I find it more skillful to support and praise opportunities she has had to practice generosity with patients and places where she can give, even though there is no personal gain or benefit save the joy of giving itself.

    A practitioner of the Dhamma can to be a source of calm, even in the midst of resistance and chaos in others’ bodies
    and minds. Equanimity/Upekka in the duty of the 4 Noble Truths.

    When I focus on the wholesome deeds of others via the mind, they seem to increase, as do opportunities for Right View/Right Speech/Right Action in the practice here.

    This helped make today happy

  4. Dhammarato sa
    Dhammarato sa

    hello this is a test to see if comments are now working Sept 26.6:pm thai time

    1. Dhammarato sa
      Dhammarato sa

      well that comment looks ok so here is a reply Sept 26 6:05 pm

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