Continuing from the book :’The Wisdom of Listening’,” by multiple authors a book edited by Mark Brady:
The THREE NOBLE PRINCIPLES for HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS
How can you keep your meditation practice in a busy hospital or nursing home when there is nothing in the environment to support it? Training yourself daily to rely on the Three Noble Principles—establishing a motivation of profound compassion; sustaining the attitude of non-grasping, and sealing the practice through dedication—will shift your perspective through everything you encounter at work. The next step is to sustain your effort until your compassionate motivation and your spiritual practice becomes part of your flesh and bones. Once you have changed the attitude in your mind and heart, then no matter how distressing your work environment, you can be happy.
ESTABLISHING a MOTIVATION of PROFOUND COMPASSION
Generating a deep compassion can make our spiritual practice and prayers more potent in their ability to help those in distress. Before beginning your daily meditation, spend some time reflecting on the suffering in the world, or on your friends’ or patients’ suffering and as their suffering touches and opens your heart, let your compassion grow even deeper, and your intention to help even stronger. Dedicate your meditation and prayers to those who are suffering terribly. You could even imagine that they are gathered around and practicing with you, and that you are all receiving the blessings together,
Each day, then, re-establish your sacred intention for your spiritual path and your entire life: recognizing the many degrees of suffering that all beings everywhere, pray that they may all have happiness and that they all attain liberation. Inspired with this intention, you might eventually decide that the best way you could benefit others and free them from suffering is to dedicate your life toward attaining enlightenment.
BLESS ME into USEFULNESS you may pray, “May everything I do today be beneficial. Through remembering my spiritual practice through the day, may I gain more confidence and wisdom and compassion of my true nature. And through this realization, may every contact I have with others bring us both benefit, relieving suffering, bringing healing and happiness, and furthering us along the path to freedom. May kindness and freedom increase in the world, and through my efforts today, may I contribute to the betterment of life for all.”
Arousing this motivation at work creates a sacred atmosphere for all our activities. When difficulties arise, we will be able to welcome them as reminders to transform our perspective once again. Instead of always trying to change others or judge them, we will learn how to see the pain and fear behind their actions and generate compassion for them.
Of course, sometimes we make mistakes. In caring for others we may get feedback that we have said or done something unhelpful. Or we may feel regret or frustration when forced to do something we don’t agree with. Instead of getting lost in our reactions, we must remember our motivation-. . . . to be of immediate and ultimate service to all beings—since it is the motivation behind our action that counts. As soon as we recognize our error, we can ask for forgiveness, let go of the mistake, and train ourselves in keeping our heart and mind pure. Each day we can make a fresh start, gradually training ourselves to become more aware, more compassionate, and more skillful. ~ Multiple Authors. . .’The Wisdom of Listening’ edited by Mark Brady (Wisdom Publications, Boston, Somerville, MA 02144 USA) p.10-11)
