Spending ten years wanting to start the practice,
Ten years trying to figure out how to fit it in your schedule,
And another ten wishing you did the practice when you could have.
That is truly a wasted opportunity.
Clarify your practice. Let your practice clarify you.
Showing posts with label procrastination. Show all posts
Showing posts with label procrastination. Show all posts
Monday, March 7, 2016
Saturday, November 28, 2015
So hard to get started.
ལེ་ལོ་
Tibetan: lelo (actually pronounced lay-lo)
English: indolence, faintheartedness, procrastination
The Tibetan term lelo is a subsidiary negative emotional state that undermines one's enthusiasm for virtuous or productive activities. Maitreya Buddha taught that this is the first flaw that we bump up against in our daily practice. It is a flaw because it ensures that we do not start, that we don't apply ourselves. It is a flaw because it ensures that we remain feeling stuck.
We may want to do something important, want to accomplish an activity, but when we try to do so we run up against the inertia that is our own indolence.
There are three types of indolence:
Lethargy.
This is the fatigue and laziness that we all experience. It is heavy, sluggish. I could get started or I could rest for a second. I could do a little bit today, or I could wait until tomorrow when I feel better.
Obsession with pointless activity.
We all know these...
Discouragement.
This is feeling inadequate or unable to start. A lack of self-confidence that results in waiting or hiding.
It is easy to pass the blame to something else, something outside of ourselves. But as a practitioner, or someone aspiring to be a practitioner, we need to look at our situation and our life. We need to be honest with ourselves, our choices and our activities.
Are we really committed to making this happen?
To overcome these three types of indolence, Maitreya Buddha taught four types of remedies:
Belief. Intention. Perseverance. Pliancy.
Belief is knowing there is something greater than this. It is not blind faith, but rather our deepest aspirations and knowing there is a truth in them.
Our intention seeks to purposefully accomplish our activity. Clarify it. Be specific.
Perseverance pushes us to continue to show up. Put in the time. Do the work. Make the effort.
The result is pliancy. We become adaptable, flexible, dexterous. We become open to change, ready to change. We become confident with the continuum of change which is life.
No longer too tired to go, too busy to go or too scared to go, we simply go. We start, and figure out what else we need as we go.
Are you going, or waiting? What else do you need to start?
Tibetan: lelo (actually pronounced lay-lo)
English: indolence, faintheartedness, procrastination
The Tibetan term lelo is a subsidiary negative emotional state that undermines one's enthusiasm for virtuous or productive activities. Maitreya Buddha taught that this is the first flaw that we bump up against in our daily practice. It is a flaw because it ensures that we do not start, that we don't apply ourselves. It is a flaw because it ensures that we remain feeling stuck.
We may want to do something important, want to accomplish an activity, but when we try to do so we run up against the inertia that is our own indolence.
There are three types of indolence:
Lethargy.
This is the fatigue and laziness that we all experience. It is heavy, sluggish. I could get started or I could rest for a second. I could do a little bit today, or I could wait until tomorrow when I feel better.
Obsession with pointless activity.
We all know these...
Discouragement.
This is feeling inadequate or unable to start. A lack of self-confidence that results in waiting or hiding.
It is easy to pass the blame to something else, something outside of ourselves. But as a practitioner, or someone aspiring to be a practitioner, we need to look at our situation and our life. We need to be honest with ourselves, our choices and our activities.
Are we really committed to making this happen?
To overcome these three types of indolence, Maitreya Buddha taught four types of remedies:
Belief. Intention. Perseverance. Pliancy.
Belief is knowing there is something greater than this. It is not blind faith, but rather our deepest aspirations and knowing there is a truth in them.
Our intention seeks to purposefully accomplish our activity. Clarify it. Be specific.
Perseverance pushes us to continue to show up. Put in the time. Do the work. Make the effort.
The result is pliancy. We become adaptable, flexible, dexterous. We become open to change, ready to change. We become confident with the continuum of change which is life.
No longer too tired to go, too busy to go or too scared to go, we simply go. We start, and figure out what else we need as we go.
Are you going, or waiting? What else do you need to start?
Friday, September 25, 2015
When do you decide?
Have you ever watched people trying to park in a parking lot?
Most people circle around the aisles trying to get the close spots, waiting for people to load there car and back out. If nothing is open at the time they will swing back around and take another go at it, maybe get lucky.
Why don't they just drive to the back of the parking lot and park?
Why not just do that right away?
Park. Walk the extra distance. Get started.
Maybe this isn't the right spot. Maybe there are better spots out there to start. Better places to be in, more conducive situations. You might make a bad choice.
There are a lot of reasons to put off starting our practice. Even more reasons to prevent us from going deeper. At some point you just need to decide.
When do you decide?
Most people circle around the aisles trying to get the close spots, waiting for people to load there car and back out. If nothing is open at the time they will swing back around and take another go at it, maybe get lucky.
Why don't they just drive to the back of the parking lot and park?
Why not just do that right away?
Park. Walk the extra distance. Get started.
Maybe this isn't the right spot. Maybe there are better spots out there to start. Better places to be in, more conducive situations. You might make a bad choice.
There are a lot of reasons to put off starting our practice. Even more reasons to prevent us from going deeper. At some point you just need to decide.
When do you decide?
Friday, January 31, 2014
Sprint.
It is nice to pace yourself. Slow and steady wins the race. But sometimes you need to push yourself. Sometimes it is good to stretch the legs, see how how far you can go.
What is off in the distance that you have had your eye on?
It could be a project. A goal. Sure. Could definitely be house cleaning.
But it could be your practice.
What if you sat in meditative equipoise for ten hours today?
What if you did 1000 prostrations today, or sun salutations for three hours?
What if you offered 10,000 mandalas this month? Or recited OM MANI PADME HUNG 100,000 times?
What if you could replace your distracted, tired mind with a mind that was powerful and stable? What if hesitation and doubt were replace with confidence and certainty?
Time to run. What are you waiting for?
What is off in the distance that you have had your eye on?
It could be a project. A goal. Sure. Could definitely be house cleaning.
But it could be your practice.
What if you sat in meditative equipoise for ten hours today?
What if you did 1000 prostrations today, or sun salutations for three hours?
What if you offered 10,000 mandalas this month? Or recited OM MANI PADME HUNG 100,000 times?
What if you could replace your distracted, tired mind with a mind that was powerful and stable? What if hesitation and doubt were replace with confidence and certainty?
Time to run. What are you waiting for?
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