Generating A Beneficial Motivation

Venerable Thubten Chodron gives a short talk on the value of our motivation in determining the value of whatever we do. She leads a guided meditation on how to generate a beneficial motivation before engaging in any activity, and come back to our motivation throughout the day.

Transcript

So,

In Buddhism,

Our motivation is considered the most important part of any action we do.

And this is very different than in general society,

Where we all try to look good so that other people approve of us.

And we're usually out of touch with what our motivation is for doing what we're doing.

We just go on in our day and follow whatever thought pops into our mind without thinking.

Whereas what we want to do in a really conscious life is not just be aware of our motivation every time we do something,

But consciously cultivate a good motivation.

So we need to be aware of what our starting motivation is and check out if it's something beneficial or not.

So what constitutes a beneficial motivation or a non-beneficial one?

Non-beneficial ones are when there's confusion or ignorance,

Attachment or greed,

And third,

Anger or resentment.

So we have to be aware of what our emotion is and what the thought behind that emotion is.

Is there attachment and greed?

I want something for myself because this is something really good that is better than everything else.

And when we have attachment,

We're usually exaggerating the good points of someone or something.

And then we often will do whatever necessary,

Trampling on people or whatever,

To get what we want.

So we can see how that kind of motivation leads to difficulty.

Anger.

We may think anger gives us power,

But it's actually kind of a foolish power because we don't think very clearly when we're angry.

And also,

Again,

Our mind is distorted.

It's exaggerating the negative qualities of someone or something.

So we don't want to act out of anger,

Act out of greed or attachment,

Because the motivation itself is skewed.

It's not seeing things accurately.

And then the third one,

Confusion or ignorance,

Is when our mind cannot differentiate what is wholesome and virtuous and what is unwholesome and non-virtuous.

And so then we get really into all of our justifications for doing all sorts of things.

Like,

Well,

It's okay if I lie.

It's not bad if I lie.

If it protects someone from knowing that I did something that they wouldn't approve of.

So those are motivations.

We find them in our mind.

We really need to stop and transform our mind.

And instead cultivate a motivation,

First of all,

That cares about other people's feelings.

That realizes we're not the only person in the world.

And that other people are living beings who have feelings just like we do.

They want to be happy.

They don't want to suffer.

And seeing that in other beings will help us really cultivate a motivation of caring.

We want to have a motivation of compassion for others.

And compassion is simply the wish that they don't experience suffering.

That we can upgrade to an aspiration to bring that about.

To intervene in situations when people are being oppressed or exploited or so on.

We want to have a motivation that involves wisdom so we can see things clearly and not with the partiality of our self-centered mind that makes us the center of the universe.

So it's really good to stop and check what our motivation is.

In worldly life it's all about looking good.

So someone may give a thousand dollars when they're building a clinic in a poor neighborhood.

But they give the thousand dollars or a hundred thousand dollars with the motivation of,

Well,

I'll give this money and then in the foyer of the clinic there will be a plaque with my name on it thanking me for being such a generous donor.

Then there may be another person who gives the construction of the same clinic.

They don't have much money.

They give twenty dollars or ten dollars.

But their motivation is,

May everybody who comes to this clinic be healed from their illness and may they all be well and happy.

So society looks at the person who gives the hundred thousand and says,

So generous,

So kind,

And ignores the person who gave twenty.

But when you look at it from the viewpoint of motivation,

Who's the generous person?

The first person isn't at all generous.

He's just acting out of his own self-concern,

Attachment to reputation.

So we want to really make it a habit to check our motivation.

So let's do a little meditation.

I'll lead you through cultivating a good motivation.

And though I'm leading this in the future,

You can also think about your own reasons for having a good motivation and cultivate the good motivation on your own.

So let's come back to our breath for a minute.

Let the mind settle.

So it's good to check our motivation before we do any action during the day.

And especially when we wake up in the morning,

If we set a good motivation,

It really influences the quality of our interactions with other living beings during the day.

So first be aware of whatever motivation is in your mind right now for the day ahead.

You may think of people you're going to see or situations you may encounter,

And will they make various disturbing emotions arise in you?

So just check your present motivation and think about the kinds of emotions that may arise in you today.

Onions.

And now let's reflect on what's the most important thing that we need today.

When you think about it,

The most important thing,

Before everything else,

Is to not harm.

So cultivate a very strong motivation.

Today as much as possible I will not harm anybody by what I do physically,

By what I say,

And even in my thoughts.

I will do my best not to think harmful thoughts about others,

No matter who they are.

It doesn't matter if they're friends,

Enemies,

Or strangers.

Today as much as possible I will avoid harming them.

Something very simple is to let them kill.

It is to run a dedicated� Pete's place where my friends,

And I can all be and love with them.

Someone who understands who I really am.

And then the second most important thing to do today is to benefit others and be of service to them as much as we can in any big or small way.

So in other words,

To have a pleasant attitude,

Pleasant demeanor towards others.

And even if there's just small things we can do to make somebody else's day better,

Or big things that we can be involved in to influence the lives of many beings in a positive way,

Whatever it is,

As much as possible today,

I'm going to do that.

So being of benefit to others is another part of my strong motivation today.

Yes?

Okay.

And then the third most important thing today is,

As much as possible,

To cultivate an attitude of care and concern for others,

An attitude of compassion,

And to develop our wisdom and skill about how to do that.

So set the motivation today,

As much as possible,

To develop those qualities in yourself slowly,

Gradually,

But continuously.

So set that motivation too.

Alright?

So it's very good throughout the day.

To check your motivation.

It's sometimes helpful to use something that happens frequently during the day just to pause and come back to your motivation of care and compassion.

So it could be the sound of your cell phone.

It could be every red light you hit.

It could be every stop in the bus or on the subway.

Or every time your child calls you.

But pick something that happens regularly throughout the day where you can just stop,

Breathe,

And renew your motivation.

And then you come back in a refreshed way to continue to interact with others in a way that will create happiness for them and yourself.

Reviews

A simple, clear teaching full of wisdom and compassion. 🙏

That was the most beautiful thing I have heard in a while. I think it’s so important for us to show up for each other in all the ways we can. Thank you so much for this reminder. I will continue to remind myself.

I am grateful to find this beautiful piece of wisdom. Thank you ,🙏

This was very insightful! Thank you so much for this wonderful teaching 🌻❤️

Very good for the start in the morning. Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom! 😀🍎🍏

A nice reminder as to your why when it’s about others

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Thank you very much .
So meaningful meditation.

Compassion is not usually a state of mind you have at work, but this session made me remember that its not about going home in the evening and then practicing meditation, but that its a gradual process to a way of living, even in hardcore work environments.

Very insightful meditation to start the day by nourishing our motivation of being a better person each day. Thank you!🙏

Thank you! I needed this reminder and assessment of my motivations!

I felt the pre-meditation discussion was a bit simplistic comparing good and bad motivations (reality is a bit more nuanced than that). Sometimes the impact of an action can be unintended, good or bad, regardless of motivation.

The meditation was soothing, calming, and heart opening for me. It helped connect me to the goodness in my heart and bring attention to the tension in my chest and stomach, resulting in an opening and relaxing of defenses. A nice reminder to check in with your motivations regularly throughout the day.

Excellent! So much wisdom. We need more people like you in this world.

This is one of my favorite meditations of all time. 💗

Thank you Venerable Thubten Chodron. I have been using your meditations here this week and finding them all beneficial

What a beautiful centering—and brightening—experience. Thank you for sharing of yourself to help me create a space I can decompress, welcome myself back into myself, and walk in peace through the flow my this day.

Blessings to you friend. 🕊💜🌸

Very helpful and practical talk and meditation

It was amazing. First the explication and then the medidation

Exactly what I needed to hear to get back on track. Thank you 🙏

This talk is about setting one’s purpose and direction in the right and just way moment by moment. I listened to this as part of a “motivation” playlist, and am discovering that the teachers mean many different things by the term. This teaching is more about wisdom and less about energy, in my interpretation.