The five aspects of enthusiasm - Monaco - 2017

OVERVIEW

Lack of confidence in our ability to achieve enlightenment, procrastination that leads us to constantly postpone our inner work, attraction to what is harmful to ourselves and to others are not simple burdens but profound obstacles that prevent us from engaging in virtue. They all have a remedy: enthusiasm, which constitutes that love for goodness which makes us perform with joy all virtuous activities of body, speech and mind. Rinpoche reveals here this treasure to us and invites us to open it fully in our heart in order to make it blossom outside of us for the sake of all beings.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THESE TEACHINGS?

Rinpoche guides us step by step in the discovery of this fundamental quality which is enthusiasm, that is to say the love of virtue. Along the way, he also helps us to become more aware of laziness under its three aspects - not only procrastination, which is the meaning most often covered by the term "laziness" in our Western languages and which designates here more particularly the tendency that we have to postpone virtuous activities, but also discouragement or lack of confidence in our ability to achieve the spiritual path, and finally the attraction for activities or thoughts that can only prove meaningless or harmful to ourselves and to others. He thus shows us with extreme pedagogy how to remedy these three obstacles to spiritual practice through enthusiasm:

1. 1. The nature, function and benefits of enthusiasm
  2. The distinction between enthusiasm and effort
  3. The three aspects of enthusiasm: armor-like enthusiasm, joyful enthusiasm in virtue and enthusiasm when acting for the welfare of sentient beings
  4. The three aspects of laziness: discouragement, procrastination, attraction to harmful activities
  5. Remedies for laziness

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?

This teaching is a real invitation to discover and deepen your experience of enthusiasm, which brings every day the joy and strength necessary to develop ever more in you the qualities of altruism and wisdom that will allow you to act for the welfare of an increasing number of sentient beings despite all the difficulties that you may encounter on your way.