Although
intrinsic basic goodness is within all of us, we still come face to
face with tremendous challenges known as habitual patterns. Our
enthusiasm and awareness may be challenged by emotional afflictions such
as ignorance, desire, hatred, jealousy, or anger.

More often
than not, we succumb to these distractions. Most of us are so
preoccupied with our habitual patterns that we've lost the simplicity of
absolute truth, which is no longer reflected in the actions of our
body, speech, and mind. Failing to maintain our awareness of fundamental
truth we come to depend on the falsity of appearances, or false views.
We then base all our judgments on what is apparent rather than true.

If
anger arises, for example, rather than looking into the depth of
another person's heart, we judge the sounds and actions we perceive -
which gives rise to endless elaborations. We are then unable to realize
our genuine nature. We could say that, ultimately, enlightenment is the
exhaustion of all such concepts.

Habitual patterns provide us
with a ground of familiarity. It's the familiar way we've lived this
life and innumerable other lives; the familiar way we solidify every
feeling, perception, thought, and action. It's the familiar way we make
things real - elaborating, judging, and expanding - and then cater to
that reality and try to survive in it.

We may not like our
anger, for example, but if anger is our habitual ground it's more
familiar than tolerance. And in spite of our aspirations, we're unable
to let go of anger and turn to tolerance. We are constantly faced with
the challenge of breaking through what have become very set patterns of
thinking, speaking, and living.

- Khandro Rinpoche
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The Challenge of Habitual Patterns

Posted by Ken Lauher on Tue, Sep 28, 2010