[tabcdyop]

Could you please explain dispassion and maybe give an example of where one could become attached to another's suffering?
With gratitude
Gary

Hello Gary dear,

Zazen can bring you some tools for the development of dispassion in such a way that you can listen to your friend not judging what he is telling you. Not judging as good or bad. Maybe this is a good way to understand and practice dispassion. Through dispassion you can reach a compassionate attitude toward her/his situation. After a while, while listening her/him with a dispassionate attitude, not judging her/his feelings or her/his circumstances she/he will feel better with you presence.

Giving our presence without judgments is very compassionate and needs dispassion.

Usually we tend to think that our suffering is because something or someone makes us suffer. Dispassion makes us understand that suffering is not about someone or something but our own disposition to that. Dispassion help to avoid taking a position in favour or against so to focus in the mental process here and now. Realeasing form thinking in favour or against gives us room to heal that suffering and to act properly with the Right Understanding (View) about a situation.

Hope this lines can be helpfull for you Gary dear... this is about my stage of practice... nothing more.

My best wishes for you and your friend...