With palms together,
Good Morning Everyone,
This morning I woke dreaming of all things about putting together a film about the early Beatles. It was a grotesque dream with distorted figures and terrible music. My struggle in the dream seemed to be to understand how these grotesque figures became Beatles. My apparent answer was to wake up and get moving. Isn't this what life is really all about?
Sometimes we should just put one foot in front of the other and get through the tough times?
One of the Buddhist paramitas is virya or energy, often translated as vigor or diligence. This paramita (or perfection, excellence) is an essential practice. Yet, sometimes we just seem to forget about it. Choosing instead to get by with mediocre work and the minimal effort that takes. My sense is that we fall into this in one of two ways: either we have achieved something and then just float along, or we have tried and failed so we give up. Both become depressing.
Yet, these are all about ends, not means. Diligence is more about keeping our eye on the ball regardless of where the ball is or in what state of motion it is in.
To me, this requires great attention. As well as a willingness to be with a ball not in motion. What is it about stillness that we do not have the energy for? Our real task isn't to get somewhere, but rather to be where we are.
So, should we kick or not kick the ball?
Be well.
