• "Know thyself", know the mind as often as possible. Know when there is greed/aversion/delusion in the mind.
• Reflect on your actions before, while, and after doing them, per Ambalaṭṭhikarāhulovāda Sutta (MN 61).
• A few verses on sila that I think are useful:
- verses 121-122 from the Dhammapada:
‘Think not lightly of evil, saying, "It will not come to me." Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the fool, gathering it little by little, fills himself with evil.’
‘Think not lightly of good, saying, "It will not come to me." Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.’
- verse 183 from the Dhammapada:
‘To avoid all evil, to cultivate good, and to cleanse one's mind — this is the teaching of the Buddhas.’
• The 5 "daily recollections" from the Ṭhāna Sutta (AN 5.57)
- ‘I am subject to old age; I am not exempt from old age.’
- ‘I am subject to illness; I am not exempt from illness.’
- ‘I am subject to death; I am not exempt from death.’
- ‘I must be parted and separated from everyone and everything dear and agreeable to me.’
- ‘I am the owner of my kamma [i.e. actions], the heir of my kamma; I have kamma as my origin, kamma as my relative, kamma as my resort; I will be the heir of whatever kamma, good or bad, that I do.’
• Four summaries of the Dhamma, from the Raṭṭhapāla Sutta (MN 82):
- ‘[Life in] any world is unstable, it is swept away.’
- ‘[Life in] any world has no shelter and no protector.’
- ‘[Life in] any world has nothing of its own; one has to leave all and pass on.’
- ‘[Life in] any world is incomplete, insatiate, the slave of craving.’
• The "eight worldly winds": gain and loss, disrepute and fame, blame and praise, and pleasure and pain. (see AN 8.6).
I find it's a good way to categorize something if you get caught up in it, and makes it easier to let go of.
• Make Buddha/Dhamma/Sangha your refuge, i.e. the safe haven you go to whenever you are in difficulty, the solution to all your problems. Whenever a problem arises, recollecting these can establish mindfulness & good behavior, re-establishes right view, and appeases the mind.
• Similarly, but with remembering/reminding yourself that everything is impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not you/yours.
• From the Dutiyaavijjāpahāna Sutta (SN 35.80):
‘When a bhikkhu has heard, ‘Nothing is worth adhering to,’ he directly knows everything. Having directly known everything, he fully understands everything. Having fully understood everything, he sees all signs differently.’
That's "all you need to know". Remembering this re-establishes right view, etc.
• From the Bāhiya Sutta (Ud 1.10):
‘You should train yourself thus: In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself. When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then there is no you in connection with that. When there is no you in connection with that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of stress.’
There's an expression I like: "it's just stuff".
• Here's a sutta on the monastics' gradual training, which I think is a good inspiration: Gaṇakamoggallāna Sutta (MN 107).
• I think it's important to read the suttas to gain proper understanding and to develop faith and also to put things in context and know which teachings are emphasized more frequently.
• And of course, meditate
Kevin