New Moon - Truly Independent

Published June 15, 2015

Those who remain friendly amid the hostile,
at peace among the aggressive,
and who do not attach themselves
to that upon which others depend
are great beings.

Dhammapada v. 406

We might think of independence as not having to depend on others. But we all rely on others at various stages of life: in early life it is our parents, later on it is our teachers, then at some point it is bound to be skilled medical practitioners. And we are probably also familiar with other aspects of Dhamma teachings on interdependence. The Buddha identified true independence as a heart that has been cultivated to the point where it is no longer intimidated by external conditions. Training in this true independence involves being mindful of how, where and when we get caught up in conditions, and then reflect on the consequences.