skillful vs. unskillful

"The Buddha gives you the framework for looking at things. The question of what's skillful, what's unskillful: This underlies everything. The teachings start with the precepts, so that you get a sense of what's skillful and unskillful at a blatant level. You learn how to deal with the issue of noticing when you've done something unskillful. You learn to make the resolve not to repeat the mistake, without getting tangled up in remorese. You realize that all that can be asked of a human being is that you don't repeat the mistakes that you've clearly seen that you've done. You try to develop the proper attitude that helps keep you from harming yourself and harming others. In other words, you develop this attitude of goodwill for all beings, yourself included. This is how you get the right attitude toward you mistakes, realizing that we have all made mistakes, but we can all learn. You don't want to be constantly standing on your pride, saying, 'Well, whatever I do has to be good.' That doesn't get you anywhere. At the same time, though, you don't want to be the sort of person who feels that you're a miserable failure with no hope at all. That doesn't accomplish anything either."

I do not have much to add to this. I would only say that it is a very important view. It is very important to myself and I think that it should be important to everybody.


love always,
Samuel