Eight Worldly Winds

In traditional Buddhist terms, there are eight worldly winds (Four pairs of worldly winds)

Praise/Blame
Success/Failure (Gain/Loss)
Pleasure/Pain
Fame/Disrepute (Honor/Disgrace)
 
One doesn’t have to be a follower of Buddha to understand that four winds take us where we want to be, and the other four blow us in the opposite direction.
Balance is what we all seek to cope with the worldly winds that blow us first one way and then in the opposite direction. Buddhists call finding that balance — Equanimity — and soon we will talk about obtaining Balance/equanimity, but for the next few days let’s meditate on the winds of the world.
Our first concern is that we not get blown off course by too much wind even if it is favorable. Praise is something we all seek, but too much praise can swell our head and lead to arrogance and false pride. Praise needs to be tempered by humility if we are to stay on course. Praise can also make us too dependent on the opinions of others and we lose our own sense of self-worth.
Consider the worldly winds of Praise and Blame and how you remained centered when these winds blow your way.

About the author

Webb Hubbell is the former Associate Attorney General of The United States. His novels, When Men Betray, Ginger Snaps, A Game of Inches, The Eighteenth Green, and The East End are published by Beaufort Books and are available online or at your local bookstore. When Men Betray won one of the IndieFab awards for best novel in 2014. Ginger Snaps and The Eighteenth Green won the IPPY Awards Gold Medal for best suspense/thriller. His latest, “Light of Day” will be on the bookstands soon.

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