Renunciation is Self Compassion: Public talk at Kunsang Yeshe Centre

Renunciation in Tibetan Buddhism refers to the determination to emerge and be free from the cycle of rebirths bound and controlled by karma and disturbing emotions (samsara). From a secular perspective one could look at it as breaking negative emotional patterns. Compassion is the wish for all sentient beings (including oneself) to be free from suffering. To have real depth and impact, this state of mind (and the verbal and physical actions that flow from it) requires an understanding of both suffering and its causes, as well as what freedom is and how it could be accomplished. Society sometimes communicates to us that “self-compassion,” means to rest, to distract or engage in sensory indulgences in order to escape or recover from stress. These techniques may work in the short term but their effect ends and often lead to further stress. When compassion is directed to others, we have many strategies and ideas to help, when it comes to ourselves – less so. We turn to “quick fix,” comforts like food, TV, internet and relationships – they work in the short term but their pleasure quickly fades and we cycle to another strategy to try to get stress relief and peace. What if you took the control back from external supports and empowered yourself into happiness? Not through superficial “positive thinking,” of pop-psychology but through a fundamental paradigm shift of perspective, liberating yourself from the habits that wear you down? What is the kindest thing you can do for yourself? If we want to free ourselves, as an individual, from suffering - we need to eliminate the causes: karma and disturbing emotions. We need to renounce and end the negative habitual tendencies of our mind through gentle but consistent effort. In this way we will stop hurting ourselves and others... Self compassion is essential in order to have real compassion for others. We need to be able to bear witness to our own suffering and examine its causes or the compassion we have towards others may be tainted with pride, attachment or other negative states of mind. Recorded live at Kunsang Yeshe Centre, Katoomba (Blue Mountains outside Sydney) Australia. Public Talk 26 July 2018 http://www.kunsangyeshe.com.au/ Teacher: Bhikshuni Lozang Yönten was ordained in 2003. She completed the Buddhist Studies Program at Chenrezig Institute in 2009 then continued to study, retreat and offer service at Dharma Centres in India, Taiwan and Israel as well as Australia and New Zealand, becoming an FPMT in-depth registered teacher. Ven. Yönten was the Resident Teacher of Kunsang Yeshe Retreat Centre from 2011 – 2014 and continues to offer classes there annually.