Still putting ‘things’ off?

 A man called Longchen Rabjam meditated for many years, under an overhang in a cliff in the mountains. He only had a hemp-cloth sack as clothing and bedding. Every day, when he went to urinate, he’d have to pass a thorn bush, which over the years grew larger and larger, making it uncomfortable to pass…the bush, not the urine!

 Every day he’d think, “I should cut that down.” Then he’d think, “This could be my last day. Why waste time pruning a bush? I’d rather do something of real significance.” So he’d go back to his practice sessions. And of course, he became the great realised master Longchenpa.

 Nowadays, we have preliminary practices to purify our negative karma and remove obstacles (thorny bushes) that we have created. It all depends on how much we want to realise ourselves! The preliminary practices help keep us focused, as they have to be completed. They are the real foundation for cutting through our conceptual lazy monkey mind. If you have to do 4 x 111,111,111 practices, you really do have to keep going! They are known as the ‘Ngondro’. We all need a bit of a bootcamp – of some sort – to become spiritual warriors.

 One could say that our bad karma is our bootcamp, with all the situations it throws up, and our reactions to these. However, that is exactly what we have been dealing with for eons, and so a positive approach is beneficial.

 And a little panic is not a bad thing…

 Some days, we just don’t feel like practising. Too sick, too sleepy, too fed up, too busy, too anything… We have to realise that whatever occurs, awareness is still present. That is how we mingle daily activity and practice. If we are aware of awareness, we can be aware of essence!

 The important thing is not to give up…that’s a bad habit. Yes, let go. But don’t give up! If we feel like giving up because we can’t be bothered, or because our practice place is not quite perfect, then just think what it will be like at the time of death!

 Be a tenacious as a dog trying to find where its favourite bone is buried! Tenacity cuts through concepts and energises.

Of course there are bad things going on in the world.

Remember.
Life is short.
There will always be bad things going on.
We can run around 
finding more and more distractions 
– our thorn bushes –
or we can concentrate and recognise our next step.

 An added consideration: many people don’t wish to do the Ngondro, but also don’t wish to continue their suffering. So what to do? There may be one thing that is predominant in one’s life that seems to be an obstacle. It could be dealing with other people, a feeling of grumpiness about life, a sense of pointlessness…in fact, any of the emotions.

Merely bring that feeling to the fore.
Be aware of it.
Admit it to yourself.
And in any situation, recognise the effect it’s having on you. 
Don’t feel guilty. 
Allow it to be. 
Give it space. 
In doing so, its grip over your mind will slacken because of awareness. 
All you have to do is recognise.
It will be uncomfortable:
just re-recognise and let be.
Know the thorn bush to be impermanent.