Episode 47: Four Supports for Right Action

Post-meditation practice focuses on how we mix the dharma with the challenges of everyday life  •  the four supports for right action provide guidelines for acting in a way that is skillful, that does not lead to further harm, and that leads to some benefit for ourselves and others  •  the first support, mindfulness, gives us the ability to insert a small pause between the trigger and the reaction; this gives us a chance to come from a more sane or positive place  •  the second support, awareness,  flows naturally from mindfulness  •  while mindfulness is focused more on our inner experiences, awareness is focused on others, on the space around us  •  we can avoid a lot of harm simply by paying attention, by being more aware of others and our surroundings  •  the final two supports work as a pair: knowing when to refrain from harmful actions, and when to cultivate beneficial actions.