What is courage?

Some of my Sangha Sisters like to choose a word to sit with for the coming year, and one is considering the word ‘courage’.

I encourage that word! It comes from the Latin word cor, which means heart. And at its heart, it speaks to how we are in relationship to fear. Since many of us are experiencing a lot of fear and anxiety, this exploration might be valuable.
When we look at the Ten Paramis of Theravada Buddhism, there’s no one quality that directly translates to courage, but all of them contribute to it or benefit from it:

Lovingkindness, obviously, since it comes from the radiant heart. Equanimity is the ability to be with what is, to hold all that’s arising in our experience, responding rather than reacting, So certainly it is a part of courage. Patience can be a challenging part of Courage. We so often are impatient for things to change, and it takes courage to be with life just as it is. Wisdom is the ability to see things as they are, which makes it possible to be skillfully courageous. Can we cultivate enough wisdom to know we cannot wish things to be different, and instead see how our intentions, words, and interactions always make some difference, for better or worse. We don’t operate in isolation. Everything is interconnected. And all is impermanent, ever-changing. We all tend to look through a very limiting lens of unquestioned opinions and assumptions. Wisdom isn’t knowing everything. Can we open ourselves to the very real possibility that we don’t know? Now, that’s courageous! Energy plays a part in mustering courage. When we falter, feeling depleted, courage calls us to take care of ourselves, cultivate the needed energy to face whatever is arising, and not expend excess energy that is rooted in unskillfulness. Virtue. Yes! Cultivating an ethical foundation is an important part of true courage, lest it become aggressive and we resort to unskillful uses of power. Truth is essential. And the ability to see clearly what is going on is necessary before we act on anything. If we don’t see, then we need to pause to reflect and consider. Renunciation, letting go of what is harmful to ourselves and all beings, assures that our actions are courageous rather than corrupt. Dedication, or zeal, fortifies our ability to be courageous. And finally, Generosity. May our courageous hearts be generous in spirit. Giving of our time, energy, and resources for the benefit of all beings. And giving ourselves what we need to sustain our courage.

So courage inspires and depends on all the Paramis. What a wonderful word to explore! And what an interesting way to learn the Buddha’s Ten Paramis!