Right Mindfulness

 This week we'll continue out study of The Nobel Eightfold Path vs. The Five Virtues of Hekate by looking deeper into Right Mindfulness.

What is Right Mindfulness and how does it relate to the Five Virtues of Hekate?

Mindfulness is currently a big deal in most self help and positive energy groups today. But what is right Mindfulness from the Buddhist perspective? 

For Buddhist the four precepts of Mindfulness include: 

Mindfulness of the Body - mindful of our breathing - as the breath enters the body and leaves the body. Also of how our body is position but also our internal body. Our organs and cells including the elements that make up the body. Such as water and air. This helps us understand and separate the areas that we need to be mindful of. Including death and decay of the body, adding to the understanding that this is a natural place and we will all be in this place at some point in our lives.

 Mindfulness of Feelings - This is related to the sense of pleasant feelings, neutral feelings and negative feelings. Through these feelings attachment can arise. An example would be having a possession that you cherish above all other things. Possessions can cause suffering, we may not see this at first because we're happy we have this possession but the issue comes in when we lose this possession. Now we have suffering. This was explained in the Buddha's talk about releasing our cows. 

 Mindfulness of Mind - This is the quality of our mind. We should be aware of when our mind is angry, constricted or annoyed. Any point where our mind is closed and also when it is opened. We want to be aware of the state of our mind so that we can continue to behaving skillfully in the world. An example would be if we're in an angry state, we know that we need to avoid dealing with others until that anger has subsided. If we are mindful of the anger we can understand that we need to breathe or calm down before we move forward with the conversation. - This relates directly to our post last week regarding the Chicken Finger offerings to Hecate.  I knew that in my current state and in their current state, anything I offered would be taken as an attack, so I choose to not get involved in the debate.

 Mindfulness of Dhammas - In this context, it means certain types of mental states. Be aware of the hinderances. The things that hinder us in daily life. Pleasure, Ill will, Doubt are types of hinderances that will make mediation difficult. Understanding the previous precepts of mindfulness and using them to make a space for mindfulness. To be aware of these things and understanding their links to each other and to our own ability to connect without adding to the suffering of self or others.

As we look at the Five Virtues, how does Mindfulness align? To me Temperance and Wisdom aligns with them. Temperance reminds us not to take things in excess. It is moderation of self and action. We look before we leap. We evaluate before we move forward. The same can be said for Wisdom. We examine, we evaluate, we calculate and then we act. As I continue this, I believe this connection between these two allow me to maintain my devotion to Hecate as well as walk the Nobel Eightfold Path as a lay Buddhist. 

What do you think? Do you connect with Right Mindfulness?  How does it connect to the Five Virtues for you?  Do you see a way to walk both paths? Is the middle path the right path for those devoted to Hecate?

Feel free to share your comments here on the blog, on the Facebook page or continue to share your thoughts with me privately using the message button at the bottom of the page.

Wishing you and amazing day.

Namaste,

Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson
Keybearer to the Covenant of Hekate
Found of the Sanctuary of Hecate Brimo

Resources

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Full content of the five virtues from the COH Website:

Compassion

– Sympathy and/or concern for others who are suffering or find themselves in an undesirable position. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Compassion within their daily life and practice would desire to aid in the alleviation of any undesirable situation or at the very least not be a contributing factor towards it.

Real Life Example – You could try to help the homeless or less fortunate be they of the two or four legged variety. Volunteering at local shelters or organizing food drives are great ways to learn and show compassion.

Courage

– Strength or character or fortitude to stand firm in your convictions and face adversity or distress without fear. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Courage within their daily life and practice may chose to stand firm against those who would chose to undermine their beliefs or convictions or to speak out against those who hurt and undermine others.

Real Life Example – Try standing up for someone you or your friendship group may deem unpopular. Also when someone shows remorse for a wrongdoing some people will continue to be angry and unforgiving. Instead state your position calmly (in itself an act of courage) and then allow the situation to pass.

Temperance

– Moderation and self-control are both acts of Temperance. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Temperance within their daily life and practice may chose to restrict some part of their life be that thought or action in an attempt to find a balance rather than choosing to allow extremes.

Real Life Example – Try abstaining from certain types of food or drink or showing restraint in discussions online. An example would be to learn to hold one’s tongue and listen a bit more before jumping into an argument.

Justice

– Moral and physical rightness are both aspects of Justice, as is the sometimes contradictory act of behaving fairly towards other people. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Justice within their daily life would strive to act fairly, truthfully and with personal integrity when dealing with others and themselves.

Real Life Example – Try to treat others fairly, in action and tone be it online or in person. Try to not pass judgement on another based upon your own feelings for a person, your understanding of the situation or hearsay. There are often two (or more) sides to a story and the truth lies somewhere between. If the truth cannot be ascertained then try being impartial.

Wisdom

– To have the common sense, foresight and understanding to think or act in a manner most objectively and beneficially to any given situation. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Wisdom within their daily life would strive to apply their knowledge and experiences in a prudent and practical way.

Real Life Example – Try volunteering to share on a topic that you are knowledgeable on with a local group or center. Offer to do a guest blog post or write an article for an eZine on a particular subject.

Right Effort

 As we continue out look at how closely aligned the Nobel Eightfold Path is with the Five Virtues of Hekate, today we're looking at Right Effort.

What is Right Effort?

Right effort is often overlooked in a lot of Buddhist teachings due to how connected effort can be with ego. In early traditions the whole idea of the path is to be sure that your effort is moving your forward.

One of the four aspects of Buddhism is to strive for continued positive states of mind. We may get angry or greedy and this effort is to stop those things prior to becoming in that state. We understand we're not awakened yet, we can be led to do unskillful things or be in an unskillful state. We should guard against that by taking the effort not to put ourselves into situations that cause us to create suffering.  We should be striving for the skilled states, Loving Kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, Wisdom and Equanimity are examples of this.

Right away we see that several of the Five Virtues are here. Compassion, Wisdom are most prominent but we can also see the remaining virtues within the skilled states.  Justice can easily fit into Equanimity, along with courage. Temperance can fit with kindness and sympathetic joy. We have to reminder that all of these skills, paths or virtues are all about balance. 

Our effort should always be in the right direction or in the direction of easing suffering. Easing suffering for ourselves and for others. For some it may mean downsizing your living space or making donations to a local charity. I may also include limiting your exposure to those things that cause you to become frustrated or angry. The idea is to ease suffering. The idea behind the Five Virtues is to walk a path of strength, positive action and positive mind while exploring our world. 

Working with Compassion, I think this is one of most aligned pieces of our path so far. Within us we should treat all living beings with compassion. This includes ourself. We should look to live in a way eases suffering. To me, this includes how I engage with other people. How I prepare my food and even how I write these posts.  I'm careful to share what my thoughts are without passing judgement on how other people may feel.

An example of this is a recent discussion in a Facebook group where they were discussing offerings to Hecate. One wanted to know if chicken fingers were ok to put on their altar. When another replied with the traditional offerings and asked why the person chose chicken, they were immediately blocked by the original poster. Today, we seem to lack the ability to engage in conversations that question our actions without feeling attacked. What was the right action here?  At first, I wanted to reply and try to mediate the situation. Even if what I was saying was truthful, and kind, was it necessary? 

In the end, for me it was not necessary. The effort here would be to "correct" the situation and it really isn't my place to correct anyone. So I left myself out of the conversation. Was this right effort? To me it was, but really there's no real way to judge this. Some may say, it is my place as a Keybearer to the Covenant of Hekate to correct someone when inaccurate information is being shared. In some situations I would agree. Had I been asked for my opinion, I think it may have been welcomed.  Even though the poster asked "Can I give Hekate chicken fingers." The real statement was, "I want to give Hekate Chicken Fingers, please reply if you agree with me."   We can see this based on the immediate block of the first person to disagree.  

So does the step, Right Effort align with the Five Virtues of Hecate?  Absolutely! I see it in several. What do you think?  Do you see something different? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments, on the Facebook page or continue to share privately in our chats.

Wishing you and amazing day.

Namaste,

Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson
Keybearer to the Covenant of Hekate
Found of the Sanctuary of Hecate Brimo

Resources:

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Full content of the five virtues from the COH Website:

Compassion

– Sympathy and/or concern for others who are suffering or find themselves in an undesirable position. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Compassion within their daily life and practice would desire to aid in the alleviation of any undesirable situation or at the very least not be a contributing factor towards it.

Real Life Example – You could try to help the homeless or less fortunate be they of the two or four legged variety. Volunteering at local shelters or organizing food drives are great ways to learn and show compassion.

Courage

– Strength or character or fortitude to stand firm in your convictions and face adversity or distress without fear. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Courage within their daily life and practice may chose to stand firm against those who would chose to undermine their beliefs or convictions or to speak out against those who hurt and undermine others.

Real Life Example – Try standing up for someone you or your friendship group may deem unpopular. Also when someone shows remorse for a wrongdoing some people will continue to be angry and unforgiving. Instead state your position calmly (in itself an act of courage) and then allow the situation to pass.

Temperance

– Moderation and self-control are both acts of Temperance. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Temperance within their daily life and practice may chose to restrict some part of their life be that thought or action in an attempt to find a balance rather than choosing to allow extremes.

Real Life Example – Try abstaining from certain types of food or drink or showing restraint in discussions online. An example would be to learn to hold one’s tongue and listen a bit more before jumping into an argument.

Justice

– Moral and physical rightness are both aspects of Justice, as is the sometimes contradictory act of behaving fairly towards other people. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Justice within their daily life would strive to act fairly, truthfully and with personal integrity when dealing with others and themselves.

Real Life Example – Try to treat others fairly, in action and tone be it online or in person. Try to not pass judgement on another based upon your own feelings for a person, your understanding of the situation or hearsay. There are often two (or more) sides to a story and the truth lies somewhere between. If the truth cannot be ascertained then try being impartial.

Wisdom

– To have the common sense, foresight and understanding to think or act in a manner most objectively and beneficially to any given situation. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Wisdom within their daily life would strive to apply their knowledge and experiences in a prudent and practical way.

Real Life Example – Try volunteering to share on a topic that you are knowledgeable on with a local group or center. Offer to do a guest blog post or write an article for an eZine on a particular subject.

Right Livelihood

What is Right Livelihood ?

Right Livelihood is part of the Noble Eightfold Path. It is under ethical conduct and provides guidance on what the Buddha taught was the best way to reach enlightenment. 

Right Livelihood involves not only what kind of business we're involved in but also balancing our expense vs our income so that we have a balance. We do not over or under spend. We do what we need to do to care for ourselves.  It's legal, ethical and good for all involved. There are five different business that the Buddha said we should avoid.

1. Trading in weapons.
2. Trading in human beings.
3. Trading in meat.
4. Trading in intoxicants.
5. Trading in poison.

These would be occupations that conflict with the teachings of the Buddha. The notion of “Right Livelihood” mandates that we should engage in an occupation that not only earns us a living but also creates greater happiness, wisdom, and well-being, and relieves suffering in ourselves and others. Conversely, we should avoid occupations that produce harm.

How does this link to the Five Virtues of Hekate?

Just as our last look at Right Action, we can see that Right Livelihood can be found in all of the virtues of Hecate.  Our livelihood, the work we do to do the mundane, pay our bills, take care of ourself and family, we can see that each of the virtues of Hecate fit directly into them. 

• Compassion
• Courage
• Temperance 
• Justice
• Wisdom 

 I work each day and use compassion to help others.  I use courage and temperance to be sure that I work hard but not too hard. I use justice and wisdom to help those around me in my professional capacity.  Each action I take in my livelihood will not harm myself or others.

What do you think?  How does Right Livelihood fit into the Five Virtues of Hekate? Do you see it directly relating to one of them? Does it cross them all?  Feel free to comment here or continue to reach out to me directly to continue our conversation.

Namaste,

Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson

Keybearer to the Covenant of Hekate

Founder of the Sanctuary of Hecate Brimo

Resources:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Full content of the five virtues from the COH Website:

Compassion

– Sympathy and/or concern for others who are suffering or find themselves in an undesirable position. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Compassion within their daily life and practice would desire to aid in the alleviation of any undesirable situation or at the very least not be a contributing factor towards it.

Real Life Example – You could try to help the homeless or less fortunate be they of the two or four legged variety. Volunteering at local shelters or organizing food drives are great ways to learn and show compassion.

Courage

– Strength or character or fortitude to stand firm in your convictions and face adversity or distress without fear. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Courage within their daily life and practice may chose to stand firm against those who would chose to undermine their beliefs or convictions or to speak out against those who hurt and undermine others.

Real Life Example – Try standing up for someone you or your friendship group may deem unpopular. Also when someone shows remorse for a wrongdoing some people will continue to be angry and unforgiving. Instead state your position calmly (in itself an act of courage) and then allow the situation to pass.

Temperance

– Moderation and self-control are both acts of Temperance. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Temperance within their daily life and practice may chose to restrict some part of their life be that thought or action in an attempt to find a balance rather than choosing to allow extremes.

Real Life Example – Try abstaining from certain types of food or drink or showing restraint in discussions online. An example would be to learn to hold one’s tongue and listen a bit more before jumping into an argument.

Justice

– Moral and physical rightness are both aspects of Justice, as is the sometimes contradictory act of behaving fairly towards other people. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Justice within their daily life would strive to act fairly, truthfully and with personal integrity when dealing with others and themselves.

Real Life Example – Try to treat others fairly, in action and tone be it online or in person. Try to not pass judgement on another based upon your own feelings for a person, your understanding of the situation or hearsay. There are often two (or more) sides to a story and the truth lies somewhere between. If the truth cannot be ascertained then try being impartial.

Wisdom

– To have the common sense, foresight and understanding to think or act in a manner most objectively and beneficially to any given situation. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Wisdom within their daily life would strive to apply their knowledge and experiences in a prudent and practical way.

Real Life Example – Try volunteering to share on a topic that you are knowledgeable on with a local group or center. Offer to do a guest blog post or write an article for an eZine on a particular subject.

Right Action

 What is Right Action?

Right action is a step on the Noble Eightfold path. In Buddhism, the eightfold path is meant as a guideline, to be considered, to be contemplated, and to be taken on when, and only when each step is fully accepted as part of the life you seek. Buddhism never asks for blind faith, it seeks to promote learning and a process of self-discovery.

So then what is Right Action? Right Action can be broken down into really three aspects.

1st Aspect of Right action is not take a life of another living animal. Generally it means not killing other people, other types of animals or insects.  The buddha did not approve of pulling up plants for no reason but eating plants was not considered a wrong action.

2nd Aspect of right action is to abstain from stealing. Both of these are generally found in most ethical structures around most societies. It includes aspects of being honest and being ethical, so not just stealing money from someone. Some forms of livelihood will include this type of action. So we wound want to be sure that this right action would link directly to right livelihood. Stealing is taking that which is not ours.

3nd Aspect of right action is to obtain for sexual misconduct. Monastics would abstain completely but layperson would not have sex in ways that are harmful or dangerous to other people. There is no other restrictions against sexual contact such as homosexual sex.  We should limit our sexual action to those who are able to consent.  There is no context related to marriage either. So our goal in this action is that if we chose to have sex, we are all consenting and working within a space right intention.

So how does Right Action fit in with the Five Virtues of Hekate?

While I do not see that Right Action fits into a single virtue, I do see that it actually encompasses all of them.  When we look at them:

• Compassion
• Courage
• Temperance 
• Justice
• Wisdom 

We can see that each of them contain action.  We cannot practice Compassion without right action. We cannot have courage or temperance without following the right actions that get us there. So while the first two we covered directly mapped to a single spoke on the Nobel Eightfold Path, this part, Right Action - relates to ALL five of the virtues. 

What do you think about this connection? Do you see it or do you have another view? Feel free to share in the comments or reach out to me directly via the chat module installed on this page.

I look forward to your comments.

Namaste

Rev. Renee Sosanna Olson

Keybearer to the Covenant of Hekate

Founder of the Sanctuary of Hecate Brimo

Resources:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Full content of the five virtues from the COH Website:

Compassion

– Sympathy and/or concern for others who are suffering or find themselves in an undesirable position. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Compassion within their daily life and practice would desire to aid in the alleviation of any undesirable situation or at the very least not be a contributing factor towards it.

Real Life Example – You could try to help the homeless or less fortunate be they of the two or four legged variety. Volunteering at local shelters or organizing food drives are great ways to learn and show compassion.

Courage

– Strength or character or fortitude to stand firm in your convictions and face adversity or distress without fear. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Courage within their daily life and practice may chose to stand firm against those who would chose to undermine their beliefs or convictions or to speak out against those who hurt and undermine others.

Real Life Example – Try standing up for someone you or your friendship group may deem unpopular. Also when someone shows remorse for a wrongdoing some people will continue to be angry and unforgiving. Instead state your position calmly (in itself an act of courage) and then allow the situation to pass.

Temperance

– Moderation and self-control are both acts of Temperance. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Temperance within their daily life and practice may chose to restrict some part of their life be that thought or action in an attempt to find a balance rather than choosing to allow extremes.

Real Life Example – Try abstaining from certain types of food or drink or showing restraint in discussions online. An example would be to learn to hold one’s tongue and listen a bit more before jumping into an argument.

Justice

– Moral and physical rightness are both aspects of Justice, as is the sometimes contradictory act of behaving fairly towards other people. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Justice within their daily life would strive to act fairly, truthfully and with personal integrity when dealing with others and themselves.

Real Life Example – Try to treat others fairly, in action and tone be it online or in person. Try to not pass judgement on another based upon your own feelings for a person, your understanding of the situation or hearsay. There are often two (or more) sides to a story and the truth lies somewhere between. If the truth cannot be ascertained then try being impartial.

Wisdom

– To have the common sense, foresight and understanding to think or act in a manner most objectively and beneficially to any given situation. A person attempting to develop the virtue of Wisdom within their daily life would strive to apply their knowledge and experiences in a prudent and practical way.

Real Life Example – Try volunteering to share on a topic that you are knowledgeable on with a local group or center. Offer to do a guest blog post or write an article for an eZine on a particular subject.