The Thai word 'nisai' means both character and habit. It points to an important truth: character is habit. We create our character through our habits. Character is not a given - it changes depending on how we live our lives.
Taking character to be permanent, people often look upon themselves as being a certain way. They define themselves in terms of their habits. When those habits are destructive or corrupting, like anger or greed, they can easily be filled with self-loathing or despair. Character begins to look like destiny.
But looking closely, what we see is identification with angry or greedy mental states and acting upon them again and again, until the identification and the reactions becomes more or less automatic. It is not an expression of identity, but of deeply ingrained habits.
Our mind is like a whiteboard. These are not permanent markers. Unwise habits can be replaced by wise habits. But it takes patience and consistency and a deep trust in the Eightfold Path. But it's all doable. This is our Lion's Roar.
Ajahn Jayasāro
28/5/24
