Buddhist Audio Books

From chapter 2: The Ethical Foundations of Metta

A person who is truly capable can turn their capability in almost any direction. You can go out to work or choose not to. You might know how to do a bit of gardening, you might know how to do a bit of carpentry, you might be able to look after a baby, or cook a meal from any leftovers in the kitchen. In fact, confronted with any given situation, difficult or otherwise, you can cope, you can manage, you can get by. You know how to look after yourself, and you can look after others if need be. This is the capable human being, the product of the long march of evolution, and the kind of person one will need to be in order to embark on the path of spiritual development. It doesn’t matter whether or not you are interested in religion, philosophy, spirituality, mysticism, high art, or even Buddhism itself. None of this counts for much if you are not first of all a capable human being, someone who is able to be an effective member of society in the ordinary sense, to look after themselves, manage their own life, and make their own way in the world.

It should be said that being capable is not always a matter of one’s own efforts alone. Some qualities are the result of all sorts of deep-seated conditions that stretch back through your life or that may simply be inherited. If you have had a supportive upbringing – that is, one in which you have been surrounded by people who care about you, who have helped you grow and learn effectively – the necessary qualities may come to you quite easily, especially if, because of your personality, you have been able to make full use of these opportunities. In all likelihood you will have the resourcefulness and stability of mind to begin the path of self-directed spiritual practice.

Without these advantages you may find it hard to muster the ordinary human capability to take you forward in the spiritual life. If your upbringing and life experience has been particularly difficult, if there are psychological or emotional factors that stand in the way of spiritual progress, you may need time to overcome these and to integrate the various aspects of your personality into a single-minded clarity of purpose. You may be inspired by the Dharma but lack the practical human qualities and the mental toughness necessary to make a success of practicing it. If you realize that you are psychologically frail or emotionally dependent, the best thing to do to begin with is to work steadily at that level. Not everybody who comes along to a Buddhist meditation class possesses the self-assurance, self-motivation, and independence of mind which are not only associated with successful human endeavour, but which also give the necessary drive to spiritual practice. If you are in this position you will have to devote your energies first to building up your basic psychological strength. You may benefit from therapy or analysis, but it may be even more helpful to work on your friendships and to learn to do a job competently and reliably.