Paramita – Diligence 2

We are new concluding up our work with the Virtue of Diligence – Enthusiastic Perseverance.

Here is what Webster says about Perseverance: Continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failures, or opposition.

So, how do we persevere in the face of difficulties, failure, or opposition? And, how do we do it “Enthusiastically?” I believe the answer to that question is in our original intention to pursue a spiritual path.

When you looked into your first meditation group, on some level you recognized that your current state of being was unsatisfactory. No matter how good you have felt in the past or how happy you are now, you recognized the inherent dissatisfaction of being human in this world; a world of constant change, good and bad experiences along the way, and the inevitable sickness and old age that creeps up on us all.

As we enter into a spiritual practice that deeply confronts the way we see our world and the way we engage with all our life experiences, we see that we are often caught in habitual patterns of thinking and reacting. Developing our mindfulness and training our mind with practices of wisdom and compassion, we learn and see that we have space to respond to our experiences in different ways, ways that reduce our suffering and increase our ability to handle whatever arises in our lives. We come to know that our happiness depends on being able to share our best with others to help them in any way we can.

Look back on your life for a moment or two and see if that is the case. See if you can recognize the changes that have arisen from your practice. When you see your life changing, when you see your equanimity growing, when you see your connection with others becoming more authentic, when you see more joy in your life, then you develop that Enthusiasm for Diligent effort to Persevere with your practice no matter what comes your way. Because you see it working in your life!

My new slogan is, “If meditation is not helping OFF the cushion, then you are wasting your time ON the cushion.”

Please enjoy this week ahead, and continue to be diligent with your practice, whatever that may be.