Self cultivation – education, training, and development of our emotional and cognitive abilities
To live a good life includes what in Buddhism is called the eight fold path. The eight fold path consists of the right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.
We need the right view to understand or even to be interested in developing our higher nature. The right aspiration will lead to right mindfulness. In the Dog Days of Summer 49 days of self improvement I have spent the first week covering several aspects of acceptance. The reason I wanted to use the first week to highlight acceptance is that, Acceptance is the key to happiness and world peace. Acceptance is also the key to inner peace.
When using the seven steps to assist in dog training or developing mechanical skills I will usually emphasize a different order.
Whenever we are educating, training, or teaching emotional and cognitive skills, we must also teach how to be in our right mind. If humanity is to follow a sustainable path into the future, right mindfulness will be based on acceptance.
Even in dog training we need to accept our dog’s true nature if we’re to fit harmoniously into society. We must follow social rules and accept these as far as they’re good for society. If all dog owners were responsible we wouldn’t need so many laws. One part of acceptance is to accept responsibility for owning a dog. Keeping our dogs quiet, not letting them intimidate others, and training them to be under control are all responsibilities of dog ownership.
We have similar responsibilities in other areas of our lives. We have a great many social responsibilities as world citizens that mirror our responsibilities as dog owners.
One way to meet the responsibilities of a civil society is to practice courteous and considerate behavior. By considering others needs along with our own we can live a more peaceful life. To move past courteous behavior we must live in acceptance. When we accept others we can easily look past the social flaws of imperfect rituals and emphasize how to be considerate.
“By combining rigorous cultivation with acceptance we can find happiness without the need to harm or habitually use force to control (dominate) others.” From day 7 of the RenChenZa® Dog Days of Summer
Wishing you the best in dog training and in life
Andrew Ledford