Numinous Nonsense

In the Buddhist tradition, there is an interesting teaching that the Buddha gave on what he called the eight worldly vicissitudes (or eight worldly dharmas). These vicissitudes have to do with the way life actually is, and they contain 4 pairs of opposites, namely 1) praise and blame 2) gain and loss 3) pleasure and pain and 4) fame and disrepute. It’s this last pair that I want to focus on, especially as it regards the media business, and my own limited experience with it being a host of a semi-popular podcast. But first, I figured I’d give a little background about what the Buddha actually said about these pairs of opposites and why they are important.

The basic gist, as I understand it, is that each of these pairs arise due to conditions that we can’t ultimately control. Although we are praised for things at times (and probably enjoy the praise) the flip-side is that we are also get blamed for many things (which we usually don’t like). And so it is for the rest of them. They come together, and have largely to do with people that we can’t control and conditions that we only have a certain amount of influence over (think of the stock market and you’ll get the idea!). These vicissitudes come and go for us, and even the most wise and skillful of people have to deal with them all the time.

The last pair, of fame and disrepute, is especially interesting and becomes even more so when one is in some sort of spotlight (whether large or small). One needs only think of the various gossip rags (and blogs) that are constantly handing out either positive attention or harsh criticism of various popular stars. Many of them go from being extraordinarily popular and liked to being despised, and that transition need only take a few months. Tom Cruise and Britney Spears come to mind as perfect examples.

The truth is, if you are doing anything that other people see, you will either be appreciated and held up or be attacked and criticized for various things. Being “out there” is a sure way to meet the truth of how closely related fame and disrepute are. An example from my own experience, has come from hosting Buddhist Geeks. While we only have a few thousand listeners (not that large when you consider how many people watch TV) we have already received extraordinarily positive feedback, and also very harsh and critical feedback. While most people are more in the middle (what a rare thing indeed), we have those few extreme cases where people can really come across in a downright cruel, or just naive way. The primarily way I’ve tried to learn to deal with this kind of criticism is from a number of different angles:

1) Recognize that almost all extreme feedback is some sort of projection, and has very little to do with me personally. Seeing that helps me take these kinds of things less personally and see that the person (or persons) who hold those extreme views are likely experiencing a good bit of pain or delusion.

2) Related to that, when I can see that someone is in pain, is causing pain, and will likely be receiving pain in response to their actions, I am sometimes able to feel a sense of compassion or care for these people (not all the time mind you). This is a sure way to relax the heart in the midst of the shifting tides of fame and disrepute.

3) I think about the larger picture, knowing that doing what I’m doing is actually useful for many people, and that the positive and negative projections that are put on me, are worth it in the long-run.

4) Finally, I consider impermanence, and know that on both the micro and macro levels nothing is certain. Buddhist Geeks may fall apart tomorrow, leaving us with no one listening to our shows, or even more extreme, I may die tomorrow. When seen in the context of impermanence, everything takes on both less importance and more lightness.

In the end the vicissitudes offer an opportunity to cultivate equanimity and to learn how to allow everything to be just as it is. We allow the worldly dharmas to do their thing, all the time realizing that our happiness does not ultimately depend on any of them.

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