Liking and Disliking

Those who cease
to set up like against dislike, who are cooled,
who are not swayed
by worldly conditions – these I call great beings.
v. 418

Liking and disliking can happen so quickly that we may feel we have no control over them.

Somebody says something pleasant, and we like them. Another person says something hurtful, and we dislike them. It might be true that we can’t stop liking and disliking arising, but if we slow down a little, we might notice that in fact we do have a choice: whether or not to follow the liking or disliking, whether or not to make a `me’ out of them.

When awareness is well established, liking and disliking can be seen as movement taking place in a larger reality. What is that reality?

This reflection by Ajahn Munindo is from the book, Dhammapada Reflections, Volume 3, (pdf) pp. 10-11. [Please see book for translation information.]