Basic Goodness Day

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the spiritual leader of the Shambhala Buddhist lineage, has designated May 7, 2013 – the day of the release of his new book, The Shambhala Principle – as Basic Goodness Day, an opportunity to celebrate our own and others’ goodness. 

In honor of these events, The Shambhala Meditation Center of Los Angeles invites each of you to share your own stories. When did you first recognize the truth of basic goodness? How will you honor it today? What is your aspiration for the world? While you’re here, take a look around our blog which was founded earlier this year and features lots of stories of basic goodness.  

The Basic Goodness Manifesto:
I trust in my own and others’ goodness.
I know that caring changes everything.
I trust my heart.
I trust you.

From the Sakyong’s Facebook Page:

We want to live in a world of peace and goodness. We want a world where the highest values are tolerance, generosity, creativity,kindness, and fearlessness rather than self-absorption, aggression, and speed.

A single glance at today’s news will tell you that we are at a crossroads. But we still have time to create a good future.

Politics, strategies, wars, and religions have not solved our problems. An internal shift is required. On first glance, it may not sound like much but it actually has the power to change everything.

We all know—can feel—that there is an enormous collective longing for a world that operates on principles of sanity. But where to begin?

All you have to do is know beyond doubt that you are good, that you possess inherent worth and value.

When you do, something extraordinary happens. You come into your power. Your confidence rises and your distrust lessens. Your world becomes full of possibility rather than hassles. You see that others also possess this goodness and your heart opens to them.

None of this means that we won’t have sorrow, rage,disappointment, and confusion. We will. But we discover a way to conquer them.

When we approach ourselves, others, and our world as basically good rather than basically bad, our actions, words, intentions,aspirations, gestures, energy—everything—change. This subtle shift in our state of mind can alter the environment we live in. It can actually change the world.

Each of us holds human destiny in our hands. It will be completely determined, not by what we think, but by how we feel. Do we want a world where everyone feels they are basically good, worthy, and kind? I believe we do.

We invite you to join the effort to declare the truth of goodness and reaffirm our collective belief in ourselves, our fellow humans,and our world.

We declare May 7, 2013 to be Basic Goodness Day, a day when people all over the world, no matter what their beliefs, religion, culture, or creed, collectively affirm their own and others’ basic goodness.

We can celebrate this in any way we like.

If you are a parent, you could say or do something to affirm the goodness of your children and let them know they are worthy of love and kindness, no matter what.

If you are a boss, you could communicate this to your employees.

If you are a doctor, you could communicate it to your patients and if you are a patient, you could communicate it to your doctor.

Teachers can affirm this truth to their students and students could do so for their friends.

Such affirmations can come in the form of words, actions,or by simply thinking of another person and feeling kindness in your heart toward them, whether you speak it or not. Basic Goodness Day is about bringing out the natural tendency of your heart to open, express, and give. You can offer something to everyone you encounter on this day.

If you are a blogger, you have a special opportunity to share the love on Basic Goodness Day. Bloggers are now the trusted messengers of our world. They are the voices we trust, beyond pundits, experts, and officials of any stripe. Let’s use our voices to summon the good. You’re smart. You can figure out how to do this, but here are a few suggestions, just in case:

    • Blog about your thoughts on the idea of basic goodness.
    • Tell your readers what you love about them.
    • Offer 5 suggestions for ways your readers could express their basic goodness on this day.
    • Tell a story about a time you recognized the truth of basic goodness and/or solicit such stories from your audience.
    • Give something away.
    • Ask for something.
    • Take delight in the display.

2 thoughts on “Basic Goodness Day

  1. well i’m trying to find away to handle my anger management, even it’s a challenge but i think i try to find a way to control with some help

  2. When I’m at work meetings, I often silently chant to myself “all beings are basically good.” When my students get angry, I silently chant to myself “all beings are basically good.” I’m glad I don’t have to do this with my dogs because it’s just so obvious.