Inner Practice Series: Notice Dislike
Aversion is more common in our mental/emotional landscape than we realized. It may begin our day, arising when the alarm rings, or as we get out of bed and find that our back hurts. It can be triggered by events on the morning news, by a long line at the subway, or by an encounter with family, coworkers, or clients.
In Buddhism, this aversion is said to be present in all humans and is termed as the “fault finding mind”.
In other words, we are programmed to look for the negative in any situations and people, rather than the positive. It is innate nature of human.
Aversion is the hidden source of anger and aggression. It arises from the notion that if we could just manage to get rid of something or someone, then we would be happy. What we humans wish to get rid of in order to become happy could be as trivial as a mosquito or as large as a nation.
There are few ideas more absurd than the notion, “If I could arrange things – and people – to be just as I want them, then I would be happy.” It is absurd for 2 reasons.
First, even if we had the power to make everything in the world perfect for us, that perfection could last for only a second because all the other people in the world have different ideas of how they would like things to be and are working to get them their way. Our “perfect” is not perfect to anyone else.
Second, forcing perfection on the world is bound to fail because of the truth of impermanence – nothing lasts forever.
Mindfulness helps us become at ease no matter what conditions exist, and no matter how they change. It asks us to see the perfection in all creation. It asks us to become aware of aversion and transmute the negative thought loop with appreciation and loving-kindness.
Practice: Become aware of aversion, the arising of negative feelings toward something or someone. These could be mild feelings, such as irritation, or strong feelings, such as anger and hatred. Try to see what happened just before the aversion arose. What sense impressions occurred – sight, sound, touch, taste, smell, or thought? When does aversion first arise during the day? Just be aware.
Further reading:
Inner Practice: Fourth Mantra of True Love
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