Practice

A fool is happy
Until his mischief turns against him.
And a good man may suffer
Until his goodness flowers.

Shambhala Pocket Dhammapada, v.9, p.33

Now, in deep Winter here in the Northern Hemisphere, low light and cold often challenge optimism. Energy goes to keeping warm, shoveling snow, balancing on icy sidewalks. It sometimes becomes a challenge to stand erect and look ahead to Spring. The fool succumbs to the circumstances of his/her immediate situation at the expense of continuing along the path of personal progress. Sustaining practice through all conditions of life is The Way. The reward of practice is practice itself, which, if sustained, will sustain the practitioner under all circumstances, joyous and difficult. Practice brings a calm strength at the center of consciousness. Seasons come. Seasons go. We all age and eventually die. The person who lives in daily mindfulness with compassion learns to relish the journey no matter how rough the terrain.