Which Way Should I Drive- Decision Making

Everyday, we are faced with decisions to make. How do we make these decisions? From what to have for lunch to which way to drive back home, we are faced with decisions to make.

In a world that is growing in distractions in sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch, unfortunately, we are making decisions that are blurred by these distraction. As Diamond Sutra had taught us, all these are like a dream, illusion, shadow and bubble. They are all impermanent objects that come and go. The body we live is just a hotel and all of us are just the hotel guest. The hotel will tear down but the guests come and go. We must have the wisdom to see that which lead us to our inner peace of mind, clarity in our thoughts and understanding in what Buddhists call suffering.

It is through our ignorance which is feed with greed and/or fueled with anger that resulted in decision making towards rebirth in lower three realms.

Back to decision making, we are bounded by what is good for me. Most of us do what we like and enjoy most.

I would like to introduce (if you have not heard about it) and recommend practicing Bodhicitta in our everyday decision making. We must have the compassion and wisdom to know what is truly good. We also must have the skillful means to act so that we could communicate at the level that the other party can comprehend.

A simple guideline to decision making and judge for yourself before you decide on doing, saying and thinking about anything:-

If I do it because it benefits me, it is a bad decision
If I do it because it benefits others, it is a good and virtuous decision.

Although it is a simplest rule of thumb about decision making, it is the most beneficial because the subsequent action's motivation is based on Bodhicitta.