Identify and acknowledge the specific mental states, such as fear and anxiety, that arise when contemplating or dealing with financial matters. This is the initial step in a Buddhist approach to facing financial concerns and working with one’s mind for liberation from suffering.
Engage in acts of generosity, even small ones like giving away loose change or making a modest donation, to others who may be in worse situations. This practice helps liberate the mind from fear and the tendency to cling to resources, leading to better decision-making and a sense of equanimity.
Be willing to both ask for and receive support, whether it’s a sympathetic ear, practical assistance, or financial aid, recognizing that generosity is a two-way street. This flexibility in giving and receiving is essential for an open mind and is considered part of awakening.
Pay close attention to and engage with the practical, ’nuts and bolts’ aspects of daily life, including financial realities like debt, rather than using spiritual concepts to bypass them. A precise examination of relative phenomena is necessary to truly understand ultimate truths and function effectively.
In meditation, repeatedly acknowledge and become familiar with the experience of ’not knowing’ or uncertainty, noting that you are still breathing and aware. This practice helps you navigate uncertainty from a place of sanity, enabling better decisions and kinder actions, rather than unbridled fear.
Observe and be aware of how you narrate uncertainty, avoiding both extreme negativity (e.g., ‘I’m screwed’) and overly positive denial (e.g., ‘It’s all going to be great’). This awareness creates a space to consciously choose what qualities to cultivate instead of being swept away by unexamined narratives.
Pay attention to how your mind is constantly pulled back and forth by the ’eight worldly winds’ – hope for pleasure, gain, praise, and fame, and fear of pain, loss, blame, and shame. Noticing these patterns helps cultivate equanimity and the ability to ‘hold your seat’ amidst life’s ups and downs.
Begin loving kindness meditation by focusing on the phrase ‘May I be safe,’ and extend it to others (‘May you be safe’). This practice directly addresses the nervous system’s inherent fear for security and helps establish a foundational sense of safety and well-being.
Instead of trying to ’let go’ of difficult emotions or self-judgment, practice ’letting be’ by simply noticing the experience (e.g., tightness, fear) without rejection or adding further narration. This allows for softening and easing the grip of clinging and self-laceration, fostering a more accepting approach.
Engage in Karuna (compassion) practice by envisioning people who are truly suffering and cultivating the wish for them to be free from suffering, doing this daily or multiple times a day. This helps to shift focus away from self-centered fears and cultivate a genuine desire to be useful to others.
When experiencing financial or other losses, recognize that many factors are impersonal and beyond individual control, especially during widespread events like a pandemic. This perspective can alleviate feelings of shame, as it acknowledges that loss is not always due to personal fault but often systemic or external forces.
Use mindfulness to discern and prioritize spending by creating a budget, which provides a sense of grounding and clarifies available resources. This allows you to make conscious choices about allocating energy and resources based on what is truly valuable and available.
Simplify your lifestyle by cutting back on non-necessities and use any surplus resources to help family or others in your community. This strategy is considered a good Buddhist practice, benefiting both oneself and others during times of scarcity and uncertainty.
Consciously practice gratitude and ’take in the good’ by actively noticing positive aspects, relationships, and the preciousness of life. This helps to counteract the natural human bias towards negativity and fosters a more awake and compassionate way of living.
Reflect on your work and how you earn a living, ensuring it doesn’t contribute to harm in the world and allows your mind to remain mindful, compassionate, and capable of loving kindness. The focus is on ‘how’ you do your work, not just ‘what’ you do.
Regularly reflect on what aspects of your situation are a direct result of your own actions and what is truly beyond your control. This practice helps to gain clarity, take responsibility where appropriate, and release self-blame for things that are impersonal.
Begin meditation sessions by mentally invoking benefactors, heroes, mentors, or spiritual figures, imagining them offering support. This technique cultivates a sense of support, reduces feelings of isolation and anxiety, and prepares the mind to be open to receiving help in daily life.
Engage in small acts of kindness towards others. This can help to ’turn the volume down’ on inner voices of insufficiency and impoverishment.
Approach uncertainty with a sense of curiosity, asking ‘isn’t this fascinating not to know what’s going to happen next?’ This can open up opportunities for creativity and allow you to consciously cultivate positive qualities and contribute to a more caring world.
Do not use spiritual concepts like ’emptiness’ to avoid dealing with practical realities like debt or unopened bills. True understanding comes from a close and precise examination of relative phenomena, not by ignoring them.
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