Weakening Vice
Last updated
Last updated
Only practice when skilled in softening or under guidance of someone skilled.
This practice can increase negative conditionings when not being skilled
What
Ability to weaken the intensity and frequency of vice via reducing the 'importance' assigned by the mind to this experience i.e., reducing the intensity of feeling-tone associated
Benefits
Weakening the intensity and frequency of
a particular Vice - caused by softening
all Vice - caused by disenchantment
Ability to constructively be with negative conditioning via teaching one's body and mind: 'now is safe'
Ability to weaken reactivity
The actual weakening of reactivity
Instructions
Habits on level of Overwhelm
Access Safety
Establishing Softness
Activate Vice
Imagine the situation
Notice Bodily & Mental Response
Bodily: Tightness, Burning, Stinging, etc.
Mental: Unpleasant, Aversion, Attraction
Access Safety
Softening Into it
Physical Release of Residue
Physical Shaking
Notice Impact
If Strengthened
Stop & improve softening skill
If Same
Stop & Improve Softening Skill
If Weakened
Continue
Habits on level of non-overwhelm
Notice or Activate Vice
Disenchant
Notice Disadvantage
Experience Discomfort
Access Safety
Softening into bodily & mental negative response
Enchantment
Notice Benefit
Enjoy
Daily Life
Whenever you notice excessive effort, soften into and notice how preferable it feels
Consider
Distinguishing between Constructive Effort & Excessive Effort
Some virtues might partially weaken as they are based on constructive effort as softening is able to release all effort - constructive & excessive.
External: Thinking about what is most beneficial to say in a conversation
Internal: Curiosity towards noticing the benefit in letting go of effort
Constructive effort is that which leads to less effort in the future and/or progress towards your values
Simmering > Impatience
You cannot force the activation or deactivation of habits
You do can create conducive conditions to increase the likelihood of activation or deactivation
Create the conducive conditions and allow it to simmer
e.g., Softening into Frustration
Notice the excessive effort underlying
Notice how uncomfortable it feels
Release the effort underlying with some softening breaths
You may or may not notice the weakening or complete deactivating of the frustration
Notice how pleasant and preferable it feels to let go of effort
Allow it to simmer
Accelerate via Enchantment & Disenchantment
Soften into i.e., releasing the excessive effort is effective in weakening any vice
Softening into a virtue is effective in strengthening it
However, creating a perception shift within your mind of understanding the benefit of virtues and the disadvantage of vice will accelerate the habit change due to 'parts of the mind' supporting it
To prevent strengthening one's negative conditionings, it is important to start with intensities that you can manage e.g., 3 out of 10
Prioritize noticing the effort underlying the conditioning rather than the specific content e.g,. anger, fear
Progress
Frequency and Intensity decreases for Vice Ability to Weaken Vice
Acknowledgement