Monday, December 01, 2008
one of those days
i got my ass handed to me by a gentle chinese man i have never met last night. no, i did not make a kung fu straight to video movie- i am reading 'buddhism pure and simple' by master hsing yun. he has a way of talking about issues and life that cuts right to the heart of the matter and the last chapter i read was on laziness versus diligence. yep. i am lazy. oh, i get caught up doing lots of stuff here and there- but when it comes to introspection and sticking to it- i falter. as he explained it- folks like the initial flush of excitement when starting something new, but then when it becomes routine, they are on to the next new thing. diligence is continuing on because you know it's right. take exercise for example ;) most folks know i would rather not. and so i don't. but that's laziness. living in the moment and not focusing on the negative- because it too shall pass- that's something i am struggling with. there are many negatives in the world right now and in my personal life. master hsing yun writes that the mind is where everything originates- so i must change my mind. pretty good stuff and i find it to be true. living in my head is something i have done for years- now, i need to clean it out and have a yard sale and make it a nice place to live :) so, that's my focus in the here and now because master yun also says that life is short and we should make the most of the time we have. namaste.
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3 comments:
Master Yun is on to something. I notice the Monks usually have a relaxed smile on their faces. ... even though adversity and suffering exist, they don't subscribe to it.
I was once at a closing ceremony at the University. We were graced with a group of monks visiting from a Monestary in INdia. they had brought a huge 6x6 table and made an intricate colored sand mandala patter on the table. At the endof the week, they were to have a ceremony, gather the sand, and put it in the river a few blocks away, as an offering. The ceremony was in ful ceremoniall garb, with all the cool Tibetan instruments, chanting, prayers, etc. someone in the room leaned on a door that was set up with an alarm. A VERY loud alarm, that took a long time to find someone to turn it off.
the monks just almost did not blink. They carried on their ceremony as if no alarm was blaring.
No distraction would stop them.
It was a very Zen moment.
keep working on it - it's worth it. its a constant struggle which is why i am so into positive quotations - they are my daily mantra. you have to learn to stay in the moment - when you do life sure does get easier.
that is my biggest trial. i am one of those 'stay on top of things and think about 8 different scenarios' kind of person. no, really :) i hate having things to do lingering and i like to get them all done so i don't worry. i get the worry gene from my mom. about whom i am currently worried. sigh. yep. it's tough.
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