Practical Wisdom with Dr. Rick Hanson
Jul 29, 2026 · 42 min · 10 segments
Even when nothing is particularly wrong, the mind can keep generating something else to want, solve, compare, worry about, or figure out. All that mental activity can be exhausting—and it can keep us…
Rick HansonHost
I'd like to talk with you about, to begin with, the eight qualities of a great person.
This is a written record that survived after several hundred years of world transmission, literally, in the canon of teachings, suttas from early Buddhism.
Now, there's some stuff about it that you kind of go with, like the Buddha has these psychic abilities that teleport himself, uh, after telepathically understanding what someone was thinking about, and then he teleports himself back and, you know, all that sort of stuff.
Uh, it's in the context of society in northern India two thousand five hundred or so years ago.
All that said, I, I wanna highlight some key points here and then use the eighth of these qualities as a way into exploring just how good it feels to come to rest and how to do that following the advice and a, and a progression from our root teacher, the Buddha.
On one occasion, the Blessed One, the Buddha, was dwelling among the Bhaggas, I'm gonna mangle a lot of this, in Sahamsagariya in the Deer Park of Vesakalla Grove.
Meanwhile, on that occasion, the Venerable Anuruddha, this is somebody else, dwelled among the Cettis in the eastern Bamboo Park.
Okay? And while the Venerable Anuruddha was alone in seclusion, in meditation, a course of thought arose in his mind thus.
The, th-this Dhamma, this teaching, is for one with few desires, not for one with strong desires.
This teaching, this way, is for one who is content, not for one who is discontent." Now, to be clear, before we go further, we often start with strong desires and discontentment.
And these eight qualities that are developed in practice are both a stretch and they're down to earth.
I'd like to talk with you about, to begin with, the eight qualities of a great person.
This is a written record that survived after several hundred years of world transmission, literally, in the canon of teachings, suttas from early Buddhism.
Now, there's some stuff about it that you kind of go with, like the Buddha has these psychic abilities that teleport himself, uh, after telepathically understanding what someone was thinking about, and then he teleports himself back and, you know, all that sort of stuff.
Uh, it's in the context of society in northern India two thousand five hundred or so years ago.
All that said, I, I wanna highlight some key points here and then use the eighth of these qualities as a way into exploring just how good it feels to come to rest and how to do that following the advice and a, and a progression from our root teacher, the Buddha.
On one occasion, the Blessed One, the Buddha, was dwelling among the Bhaggas, I'm gonna mangle a lot of this, in Sahamsagariya in the Deer Park of Vesakalla Grove.
Meanwhile, on that occasion, the Venerable Anuruddha, this is somebody else, dwelled among the Cettis in the eastern Bamboo Park.
Okay? And while the Venerable Anuruddha was alone in seclusion, in meditation, a course of thought arose in his mind thus.
The, th-this Dhamma, this teaching, is for one with few desires, not for one with strong desires.
This teaching, this way, is for one who is content, not for one who is discontent." Now, to be clear, before we go further, we often start with strong desires and discontentment.
And these eight qualities that are developed in practice are both a stretch and they're down to earth.
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