One of the most important techniques for dealing with chronic pain and illness is the mental reaction to it. That is, being on guard not to feel sorry for oneself. And we've been talking about self-pity in this retreat quite a bit. So it's quite important first of all to try to defuse our particular illness or pain, with the understanding that there are others who have worse pain and difficulties, and understanding the universality of illness, decay and death. Often it's very helpful to know some of the Buddha's quotes about these sorts of things, so that when the mind gets a little bit upset about it, we bring in a quote to remind ourselves of the reality of life, that decay, illness and death are a natural part of existence for human beings. That's because we have a body; it's going to suffer.
So guarding ourselves against self-pity is very important, in order to be able to see the pain just for what it is. Sometimes there's a feeling of fear arising towards the pain which intensifies the symptoms. In dealing with pain, it's important to use the Unpleasant Physical Sensations technique, to be able to see the pain and not resist it. If the mind is resisting, it's like the mind forming a hand into a fist and banging against the pain. So it's important to learn how to soften around pain and observe it just as it is.
I think it's also quite important to have an understanding that all Dukkha that arises for us is an opportunity and that even though there is pain, and the body is suffering, the mind doesn't have to suffer with it; it has the potential to not suffer with the body. These are opportunities to lessen our attachment to the body as a source of happiness, to start to see that the body can suffer, but we don't have to suffer with it. That eventually, for every living being, it's going to decay and we're going to have to let go of it. So if there's pain and illness, it can be a valuable opportunity for us to lessen our attachment to the body and refocus our attention towards the development of the mind. Remind ourselves what the true source of happiness is.
It's quite important when dealing with pain and chronic illness to just take one moment at a time. Because it's easier to deal with one moment of pain than it is to deal with two weeks of pain, and the projection and the worry and fear about it, what's going to happen to us. It's much easier to deal with the pain that's currently occurring, than to deal with the worry and fear of tomorrow's pain and the next day's pain and the next week's pain, etc. You only have to deal with one moment of pain, and that's now. If we keep our reactions to the pain and the illness beneficial, then it actually gives the body a chance to recuperate more easily. We are giving the body the chance to heal itself because we're not creating negative reactions which I believe will make it more difficult for the body to heal itself.
Confidence inspiring objects are also very helpful if we are having illness. I remember one time I was very ill, and, at that time, I realized the power of confidence inspiring objects; Sympathetic Joy, Reflections on one's good Kamma, etc. I found that, even though I was very ill, the mind has the ability to have joy in the mind. And that showed me the potential for these particular types of Reflections even at the moment of death. When the body's so wiped out you can't move, you don't have to suffer with it at that particular moment. You can gladden the mind. Making it joyful. In order to be able to do that it's important to do a lot of good Kamma, so that you can reflect on it and take more joy with it.
At the same time I believe it's quite important to actually investigate into the illness and maybe understand some of the causes that brought it about. And if we can, try to lessen the causes that bring about illness. But also to understand that we may not have the possibility to heal it, so that's where acceptance comes in. And remember that there's always someone worse off than ourselves. Reflecting on How Fortunate You Are is very helpful during chronic illness and pain. So that we don't get a very negative mind about it.
It's a wonderful opportunity to develop the Paramis, rather than just think about developing them. Not only are these wonderful opportunities to develop the Paramis, but also to see our reactions to the eight worldly conditions, and especially pain and pleasure. Try to keep a cheerful mind, a mind that is not suffering with the body. Seeing the difference between the mind and the body, that the body can decay and die, but we don't have to suffer with it.
We have to make our mind quite strong when we don't have any pain, if that's possible. Many people allow themselves to suffer over small things. And when the big things come they don't have the courage to deal with it. So it's important to watch our reactions in our normal life towards small things and put them into perspective. Then we don't get all upset and worried about small things. Reflecting on death, and the universality of it, is very helpful to understand that all of us, if we live long enough are probably going to deal with some sort of decay and pain. And it's just natural.
We have to develop some way to be able to have happiness within the pain, and that really depends on mind development, which is much more dependable. So pain and illness can be an opportunity if we see it like that, and opportunity to develop the Paramis. It can be an opportunity to understand the nature of existence, to let go of more attachment to the body. Because it's our attachment to this body as being oneself which is one of the biggest wrong views we have; the body being the source of happiness.
If we strengthen the practice that we have when we don't have any pain, when pain comes to us, small pains like headaches, stomach aches, all these sort of things, we can use these as opportunities, rather than to get upset that Dukkha exists. And to actually work within our limitations, not to push the body beyond its limits, to work within it. Making ourselves more humble and understanding that we don't have the power to just tell the body what it has to do, sometimes it tells us what we must do.
So we need to understand that the body is not ours just to control and do what we wish. Then we understand our limitations and we learn to work within them, listening to the body's signals so that we can do what is beneficial for that particular illness or pain. If you have got a fever, it's probably not a good time to do a lot of walking and standing meditation, instead do lying down meditation. We can still meditate in that posture. So take care of the body, and take care of the mind, taking one moment at a time. Try to help the healing of the body if possible, by not creating more stress and tension in the body through resistance.