MEDITATION
THE BRAVERY of Self Honesty
T
here are many kinds of courage. If we only watch the TV versions, we might think that courage is related to a response to violence and if we follow that track we may adopt a warlike mentality, requiring more and more defense from imagined enemies. If we adopt the premise of non-harming (ahimsa) or the golden rule of the Christian teachings, then we probably see that attitude as folly. In this, we are backed up by studies on violent behaviour which indicate the more you think about violence, the more you equip yourself with instruments of violence, the more likely it is that there will be a violent incident in your life. These studies accord with the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism, which places emphasis on mental preoccupations. Simply put, what we think, we will become. Aspiration becomes a crucial part of developing a wholesome life. So, let us look at the concept of courage with deeper eyes. Could being ‘ordinary’ be a courageous way to live? Could humility be an act of courage? Could willingness to look honestly at our own shortcomings and vow to address them be one of the bravest things we can do? Could stepping aside for the betterment of others also be called an act of courage? My answer to all of these questions would be an unequivocal, “Yes”. An old Buddhist friend who struggled for years with mental illness discovered how much courage it took for her to accept the ordinary as enough. To be able to dwell with all the terrifying paradoxes of the