How do you defeat your enemies of craving pride sloth etc?

[mewtwo]

So how do you defeat you enemies of craving pride jealousy sloth greed ignorance?

[thelerner]

Hmnn, can't save I've defeated them. On the Monks path you tackle'em all at once and you're in an environment that conducive to fighting such enemies because they're largely removed from the environment. On the Laymans' path they're everywhere, you're out numbered and out gunned.

 

So target one at a time, not to defeat it, but to get general awareness of its traits and how they effect you. Once you're aware, devise methods to avoid or over come its specific attacks. Piece by piece, little by little, get better.

 

See below:

[GrandmasterP]

You are saying 'sloth' as if that were a bad thing.

Can't beat a nice bit of sloth.

Very restful.

[Stosh]

Tastes good too.

[Jetsun]

I was going to write an answer, but then I realised I hadn't defeated any of those things so I don't know shit.

[mewtwo]

ok then how do you do battle with them? do you even need to do battle with them?

[Aetherous]

I let them be, and focus on better things.

[Sanzon]

I remember the Dalai Lama talking about his 'old friend' anger popping up for a visit on the odd occasion. He referred to it like he was able to witness it with detachment, while experiencing it, but importantly, without judgement, but like it was a child whom he loved, but he, the witness, was no longer a child. I personally tihnk we all tend to wrestle with this sort of stuff. I wonder if you could befriend your foes and your ego, and have sway with their inclinations as a personal friend of theirs rather than as a conqueror.

Edited February 16, 2013 by Sanzon

[adept]

Don't try to defeat or battle them, you'll only make things 10x worse. Mindfulness and awareness are what's needed here.

Any physical qigong/internal martial arts practice coupled with a mindfulness meditation method such as anapana or vipassana may help.

[spiraltao]

I agree with both turtleshell and adept. Out of sight, out of mind is mindfulness, although mindfulness to me is the mind of no mind.

Edited February 16, 2013 by spiraltao

[joeblast]

So how do you defeat you enemies of craving pride jealousy sloth greed ignorance?

These are all energies of habit. Habit which was created by the mind, created by the conditions one is exposed to, created by one's responses thereof. In establishing a habit, we give momentum to it. In paying attention to the arising of phenomena, the best way to diffuse the inertia of those old habit energies is to not further them, positively or negatively. That doesnt mean one does not correct himself with right thought and action - that means one simply corrects without mental wrangling, drops the issue, and "stops feeding it."

 

The methods are many, from cultivating heartfulness, to equanimity, to recitation, to emptiness. The method employed is not important, but what is important is the intent behind it.

[Seeker of Wisdom]

Try to fight them directly, and you lose instantly.

 

You need to first accept them. Then gradually cultivate their opposites by introspection, shamatha, mantra, and trying to live virtuously.

 

Still quite low on the ladder... but in this way, I am climbing higher.

 

Jb's post above says it well.

Edited February 16, 2013 by Seeker of the Self

[Harmonious Emptiness]

Cultivating positives.

 

contentment and gratitude over craving

 

selflessness/not-self over pride

 

love over jealousy

 

will over sloth

 

generosity over greed

 

awareness over ignorance

[Stosh]

Equanimity is not the preservation of them biases or is it?