The Tibetan Practice Of Abandoning Unfavorable Places
There’s a Tibetan Buddhist teaching that suggests we abandon unfavorable places. It teaches us to be mindful of our surroundings. It acknowledges the impact our environment has on our physical and mental health. It builds upon another fundamental Buddhist concept that is dear to me personally, which is that our natural essence is one compassion. We’re all fundamentally pure and capable of walking the Eightfold Path, but external factors muddy the waters, distract, and confuse us along the way.
This practice of abandoning unfavorable places doesn't always mean leaving a geographical place. It can be extended to mean abandoning anything in our external environment that hinders our ability to care for ourselves and others. This can be over-consumption of entertainment or substances such as alcohol. It can also mean abandoning harmful relationships.
However, most generally (and most commonly), this practice of abandoning unfavorable places is a meditative exercise—one where the meditator simply redirects their habitual outward-flowing attention inward, toward their own innate capacity for stillness and compassion.
A 4-step practice for returning home
Let’s examine a four-step practice that helps turn your mind away from the hindrances found in the external world:
Recall that your life is precious. Contemplate this, and let it be a source of gratitude.
“Every moment of life is precious. Most humans who could ever exist will never be conceived and will never know life at all. Any one of us is alive against stupendous odds of having never been born.” – Neil deGrasse Tyson
Recall that everything is impermanent, including your life. Contemplate this, and let it serve as motivation to live in the present moment.
Recall that your actions affect the world. Contemplate this, and let it serve as motivation to act peacefully.
Recall that most attachments, especially those to concepts and notions, are silly. Contemplate this, and let it serve you to let go, attaching yourself only to present moment experience.
Related article: Life Untethered: Breaking The Four Categories Of Attachment
This four-step practice is available any time. You could practice while waiting for the bus. You could practice in the morning during seated meditation. Whenever and wherever you choose to practice, it’s a tool you can use to abandon the often-unfavorable external conditions surrounding you—unfavorable for inner stillness, self-care, and reflection.
We must be mindful, critical, and selective of our external surroundings and circumstances. We don’t need to passively accept unnecessary noise, distractions, and unhealthy levels of entertainment or conflict. We can move ourselves physically to a calmer place that’s more conducive to inner stillness, if even just for a day.
But there may be times when it is impossible to physically remove ourselves from unfavorable conditions. In these times, we can use our four-step practice to abandon external-facing perception and direct our attention inward to the body’s natural ability for stillness, healing, and compassion.
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