We Need Intelligent Stubbornness

We need to be determined in order to succeed. Being too open, we can fall into confusion, lose direction and dither. If we feel that karma is something that happens now and again (or that God’s hand is sometimes involved and sometimes not), then we are part timers. Mediocre intelligence comes with problems which are revealed in confusion and vagueness. We lose our way if we choose to practise now and again: we need to be vigilant now, and again now…

The waves of karma are happening at every moment. We are creating those waves now, which bear fruition in either fortunate or unfortunate karma. Every moment is a product of karma and our every reaction is generated by our past. That is why, when we pause and stop reaction in its tracks, we break the chains of reaction! We prevent more of the same.

To get to our destination, we need a firm sense of direction without a clinging residue: if we don’t clean our tools, they will remain dirty. Every moment counts.

Practitioners of the Buddha’s teaching want to achieve liberation for all. We need to be convinced of this and to practise completely and cleanly.