Right View, or Skillful Understanding
Right View is not an ideology, path, or system,
Right view holds no particular views,
and instead is being open and flexible.
Right View includes the psychological and emotional background
that helps you distinguish what is good
from what is bad for you, and for others.
Dissatisfaction arises from inaccurate views
and from birth, old age, sickness, and death;
not getting what we want, separation from what we love,
getting what we don't want or hate.
Grossly wrong views are associated with zealots, or bigots.
Most of us suffer from more subtly wrong views,
in our politics, social groups, relationships,
and in terms of our expectations and ideals.
Subtly wrong views may be subconscious
yet strongly effect our feelings and behavior
as for example when a strong emotion dominates
but later proves to have been inappropriate.
One of Zen's four vows,
"delusions are inexhaustible, I vow to end them",
recognizes the paradox
and perhaps its only possible resolution.
According to Houston Smith
Zen cultivates attitudes of
gratitude and appreciation for the past,
awareness and attention to the present,
and responsibility for the future.
In view of the noble truths and eightfold path,
as we take responsibility for our desires
and whatever our desires motivate or result in,
our views, understanding, and behavoir will become more skillful.
Happiness is an important view.
Understanding of no-self, emptiness, and impermanence is implicit in
Three Seals of Buddha's Teaching.
To help your intentions for yourself and others, consider
Wellness, and Good Will.
The close relations between views and thinking are suggested in
Views and Thinking.
My views of reincarnation, karma, and hell are described in
Reincarnation, and Hell.
Consider also the interplay between
Judgment and Right Views,
This page is mostly taken from my
Right, According to Buddha,
that roughly summarizes Thich Nhat Hahn's book "The Heart of Buddha's Teaching".
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