Gil Fronsdal explores how cultivating dharmic confidence helps us keep our practice steady and understand the distinction between wholesome and unwholesome actions.
This dharma talk was originally published on Dharma Seed
Dharmic Confidence
Gil talks about how confidence is one of the conditions by which Insight practice can be transformative. Dharmic confidence, as he calls it, helps us hold our practice steady and keep going, plus brings a certain kind of wellbeing. Gil keys in on how dharmic confidence involves understanding the distinction between wholesome and unwholesome actions.
“Dharmic confidence can come with a kind of deeply rooted quality that gives it a certain kind of strength. Or, another analogy would be it gives it a kind of ballast, that no matter how difficult life is and how much we get pushed around by the waves and the wind, the ballast of the boat always helps the boat come upright again.” – Gil Fronsdal
Nikki Walton and Humble the Poet discuss authentic confidence in New Growth Ep. 17
Wholesome Mindfulness (14:25)
How do practice so we don’t compound the tendency to have unwholesome, unhelpful mindstates? Gil explores how a big part of Insight practice is discovering how to be mindful in a wholesome way. He talks about how we might not always have control over our mindstates, but we can choose whether we act in a wholesome or unwholesome manner.
“Ideally, what we’re trying to do is discover how to gently, peacefully, even effortlessly make the choices for actions which are healthy.” – Gil Fronsdal
Joseph Goldstein covers 10 unwholesome actions in Insight Hour Ep. 28
Become the Dharma (31:30)
Gil explains how we can shift our identity away from our inner mindstates and towards the Dharma; we become the Dharma in the actions we take. As our practice deepens, we discover how something inside of us gets softer without the stress of unwholesome mindstates. A wise person is someone who knows the difference between what’s harmful and what’s skillful.
“Dharma isn’t outside in the books, it’s in you and how you act, how you’re finding your way how to show up and be here.” – Gil Fronsdal