Art of Living

This day of Uposatha is yet another day of unlearning old habits of aversion, pushing and impatience.  Things that were once subtle and difficult to see have become (almost) unbearably clear and obvious.  I can see it in the simplest things, like how much time I meditate for and the attitude I bring to it.  Especially, the difficulty I have in being grateful for my own determination because of the joy it brings.  All these are the sirens shouting that I’m still holding to my own suffering with conceit.

It’s so easy to forget that we are not the only ones struggling, and that all this can be overcome.  That’s why it’s so important to meet with others on the path, even to read and listen to the talks of those further along.  It gives us the strength to keep going, nourishing that which is already good in us.  I don’t know where I would be today if it were not for those that contributed to my life and practice.

Many people that saw me growing up as a teen thought I’d never make it to see my 18 birthday.  Being 36 years of age today, I’ve proved them wrong.  But it was only because of the good people I kept around; just as many of the troublesome things I picked up were because of the troubled minds I kept around.  Time and time again I’ve seen the truth of this proven in my life.

The voices in the mind reflect what we keep around us.  But what we keep around us takes on many forms.  i.e. TV programs, news articles, your Facebook feed, the Internet, social media, Netflix, books, magazines, etc…  But wait, this doesn’t mean we just get rid of it all and stop living.  The practice is an art of living happily.  First we must identify that which is good around us and feed on that.  Then as we develop goodness in ourselves with some consistency we will identify naturally of our own accord what should be eliminated or developed.  This I am still working on...