Responsibility
Nowhere!
Not in the sky,
Not in the midst of the sea,
Nor deep in the mountains,
Can you hide from your own mischief.
Not in the sky,
Nowhere
Can you hide from your own death.
Shambhala Pocket Dhammapada, Verse 9, p. 35
The key to accepting personal responsibility is acceptance of the transitory nature of your life and the world: Understanding that each moment is one of a tightly measured amount of moments which will constitute your life. Like a purse of precious coins, these moments are spent wisely or squandered on empty folly. The Great Lie is our denial of the mortal nature of our lives.
"He was unlucky. I have good genetics!" The fool feels superior when looking at human tragedy that befalls others. "I will go to heaven if I repent before I die for what I'm doing now." The fool thinks religion will save him from death and reverse the damage of his misdeeds. "I will live on in my children and their children." The fool does not realize that his life is his own, and his children must live their own lives with or without the effects of his deeds or misdeeds.
Keeping a firm grasp on the purse strings of the moments of your life is a way of looking at daily practice. By trying to make each moment count in some responsible and creative way, you invest the wealth of your precious and limited time. You do not squander it on momentary and fleeting pleasures or escape from your life's path. This is part of the concept of mindfulness: Being in the moment with awareness of life's transitory nature. With this mindfulness, responsibility comes readily. First, the responsibility to yourself to nurture and maintain your body for the longest and healthiest life possible. Then the responsibility to your environment and those in it to foster peace, justice and compassion.
Personal practice is a wise expenditure of your time in life. It also supports the greater good. By embracing a personal daily practice, your path becomes clear and more joyful. Meditating, eating properly, exercising are all essential activities of a healthy daily practice. Self-deception breeds laziness and wastefulness. There is no more time in your life after this moment. There is less. Practice, focus and spend your time wisely.
Not in the sky,
Not in the midst of the sea,
Nor deep in the mountains,
Can you hide from your own mischief.
Not in the sky,
Nor in the midst of the ocean,
Nor deep in the mountains, Nowhere
Can you hide from your own death.
Shambhala Pocket Dhammapada, Verse 9, p. 35
The key to accepting personal responsibility is acceptance of the transitory nature of your life and the world: Understanding that each moment is one of a tightly measured amount of moments which will constitute your life. Like a purse of precious coins, these moments are spent wisely or squandered on empty folly. The Great Lie is our denial of the mortal nature of our lives. "He was unlucky. I have good genetics!" The fool feels superior when looking at human tragedy that befalls others. "I will go to heaven if I repent before I die for what I'm doing now." The fool thinks religion will save him from death and reverse the damage of his misdeeds. "I will live on in my children and their children." The fool does not realize that his life is his own, and his children must live their own lives with or without the effects of his deeds or misdeeds.
Keeping a firm grasp on the purse strings of the moments of your life is a way of looking at daily practice. By trying to make each moment count in some responsible and creative way, you invest the wealth of your precious and limited time. You do not squander it on momentary and fleeting pleasures or escape from your life's path. This is part of the concept of mindfulness: Being in the moment with awareness of life's transitory nature. With this mindfulness, responsibility comes readily. First, the responsibility to yourself to nurture and maintain your body for the longest and healthiest life possible. Then the responsibility to your environment and those in it to foster peace, justice and compassion.
Personal practice is a wise expenditure of your time in life. It also supports the greater good. By embracing a personal daily practice, your path becomes clear and more joyful. Meditating, eating properly, exercising are all essential activities of a healthy daily practice. Self-deception breeds laziness and wastefulness. There is no more time in your life after this moment. There is less. Practice, focus and spend your time wisely.
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