Three Kinds of Laziness

 Buddha described three kinds of laziness.

First there is the kind of laziness we all know: we don't want to do anything, and we'd rather stay in bed half an hour later than get up and meditate. 

Second, there is the laziness of feeling ourselves unworthy, the laziness of thinking, "I can't do this. Other people can meditate, other people can be mindful, other people can be kind and generous in difficult situations, but I can't, because I'm too stupid." Or, alternatively, "I'm always an angry person;" "I've never been able to do anything in my life;" "I've always failed, and I'm bound to fail." This is laziness.

The third kind of laziness is being busy with worldly things. We can always fill up the vacuum of our time by keeping ever so busy. Being occupied may even make us feel virtuous. But usually it's just a way of escape. 

When I came out of the cave, some people said, "Don't you think that solitude was an escape?" And I said, "An escape from what?" There I was—no radio, no newspapers, no one to talk to. Where was I going to escape to? When things came up, I couldn't even telephone a friend. I was face-to-face with who I was and with who I was not. There was no escape. 

Our ordinary lives are so busy, our days are so full, but we never have any space even to sit for a minute and just be. That's escape. One of my aunts always kept the radio on, or the television. She didn't like silence. Silence worried her. Background noise rang out at all times. And we're all like that. 

We're afraid of silence—outer silence, inner silence. When there's no noise going on outside we talk to ourselves—opinions and ideas and judgments and rehashes of what happened yesterday or during our childhood; what he said to me; what I said to him. Our fantasies, our daydreams, our hopes, our worries, our fears. There is no silence. Our noisy outer world is but a reflection  of the noise inside: our incessant need to be occupied, to be doing something......(Jetsunma Tenzin Palmon)

Through The Eye of Compassion

"One day, a loyal young monk witnessed conversation between a very rich businessman and his master. Seeing how disrespectful the business man was, the monk was angry. But his master kept smiling.

When the conversation was over, the monk asked the master,
“Master, how can you let him treat you like that? He thinks he is much higher than you, he’s so full of pride, and greed. How can you be so patient? I cannot help but to resent him!”
In response, the master patted him on the shoulder.
“Look deeper, and see; behind every pride is the fear of not being acknowledged by others; behind every greed is the fear of lacking anything. Seeing that fearful man, I cannot help but to feel compassion toward him; and wish he is freed from such sufferings.”
Hearing this, the monk was silent."

Walker

Walker, there is no road,
the road is made by walking.
Walking , you make the road,
and turning to look behind
you see the path
you never again will step upon.
Walker, there is no road,
only foam trails on the sea.
(Antonio Machado)

A Wise Woman

"A wise woman who was traveling in the mountains found a precious stone in a stream. The next day she met another traveler who was hungry, and the wise woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone in the wise woman’s bag, admired it, and asked the wise woman to give it to him. The wise woman did so without hesitation.The traveler left, rejoicing in his good fortune. 

He knew the jewel was worth enough to give him security for the rest of his life.

But a few days later he came back, searching for the wise woman. When he found her, he returned the stone and said, “I have been thinking  how valuable this stone is, but I give it back to you in the hope that you can give me something much more precious. 

If you can, give me what you have within you that enabled you to give me the stone."

A Contribution to Statistics

Out of a hundred people
those who always know better
-- fifty-two  doubting every step
-- nearly all the rest,  glad to lend a hand
if it doesn't take too long
-- as high as forty-nine,
always good
because they can't be otherwise
-- four, well maybe five,  able to admire without envy
-- eighteen,

cruel when forced by circumstances
-- better not to know......
taking only things from life
-- thirty
(I wish I were wrong),
hunched in pain,
no flashlight in the dark
-- eighty-three
righteous
-- thirty-five, which is a lot,
righteous
and understanding
-- three,
worthy of compassion
-- ninety-nine,
mortal
-- a hundred out of a hundred.
Thus far this figure still remains unchanged. 

(source:internet)

Are we sabotaging ourselves

How are we sabotaging our potential for change?

We unconsciously use defense mechanisms to shield us

from situations we perceive to be scary or painful.

A part of us may want to grow and change,but another part may be resisting because change always moves us into new territory in our thinking and emotions.

If we find we are getting anxious, fearful, angry, frustrated,

dismissive or unmotivated, then defense mechanisms are at work.

Watch for them and know them to be signs of fear that wants to hold us back.

Then courageously move through them.

(John & Patrice Robson)

"First realize that your world is only a reflection of Yourself 

and then stop finding fault with the reflection."
*****

"The journey from birth to death is a mysterious passage we all must navigate.
Each of us begins our journey at a specific time and place, yet we have no idea where or when it will end — or what challenges we might face along the way.
Making sense of it all, and finding something bigger than ourselves to believe in, can be a life-long quest.
Life’s Journey is Seldom Easy.
Life sometimes seems hard to understand and accept. It can feel like things are spinning out of control, with fear, pain and uncertainty. And the tumult in the world around us often heightens our feelings of frustration and anxiety.
All of this can leave us feeling overwhelmed, alone and afraid ― and longing to find a sense of inner peace and comfort."