“It is a mistake to confuse enthusiasm with wisdom.
It’s NOT uncommon for Dharma students to get so enthusiastic
that they fill their entire schedules with dharma and dharma related activities.
Big mistake.
How could that be a big mistake?
Because if we leave NO time in our schedules to
• breath,
• smile,
• play,
• screw,
• sleep and
• be an all around happy camper,
we’ll be creating the causes to be cranky bastards…
and no one wants that.
That is why in the pith instructions it is written,
“Do NOT turn a God into a Demon,”or in other words
even something as good as Buddha’s Dharma,
if misapplied, could be profoundly destructive.
For instance, if we hold onto our understanding of the teachings too tightly
then we aren’t leaving room for greater insight and growth.
Let us explore this by way of contrast.
One student insists, “This is the truth….”
{can you sense his rigidity?}
a second student says, “This is what I was told…”
{could you sense this guy’s flexibility?}.
The more rigid we are
the less possibilities we experience,
whereas the more flexible we are
the vaster is the universe of possibility that we inhabit.
Many years ago,
I went a great period of time limiting my reading
to spiritual texts, exclusively.
That was a big mistake.
So my teacher recommended that I lighten up
and read both novels as well comic books
such as “Calvin and Hobbes” or “Garfield.”
I followed my teacher’s guidance,
and so ushered into my life,
a new series of playfulness, ease and consequentially realizations and growth
that had been impossible when I was over-working myself.
Yes asceticism can wear many masks,
including that of an enthusiastic scholar or a rigid dogmatist.
Come let us follow Buddha’s example and traverse the middle way
between asceticism and over indulgent foolishness.
But how can we know whether an activity is beneficial or destructive?
Simply dialog with the Buddha of Compassion.
You don’t know how?
Then find a lama to teach you this easy technique,
that you too might walk in the footsteps of:
• Chandragomin,
• Chandrakirti,
• Gelongma Palmo,
• Tsongkhapa,
• Jigme Lingpa,
• Kyergangpa, and
• Mingyur Namkhai Dorje.
The Friday series of weekly webinars begins January 7th.
May you and yours be
happy and healthy!
Om Mani Padme Hum,
.
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