Learning With the Teacher

[Guest guest]

Chop wood, carry water. It's so true.

 

The practice is not always glamourous. Not always phenomena packed. Not always

are we making leaps and bounds.

 

The opportunities for growth lie all around us every day in every encounter. In

every thought. In every action, every word, every deed, every breath. How can we

be more loving? More serving? More patient? More tolerant? More devotional? More

grateful? Look to the safeties. They are the way to awaken.

 

A word of kindness to someone who may not always recieve such may not seem like

much, but it is a shining gem to be gathered in your daily basket. Fill that

basket with these gems. The gems of kindness and love. Be mindful and you will

find many.

 

I am with the teacher now. I can ask questions. And I do. But the questions stop

coming. All the answers are there in the safeties. We just refine our

application of them. We take them deeper and deeper, applying them on more and

more levels. Surrender more, love more, serve more. Be more mindful. How truly

mindful can you be through a whole day? I bet the next day you could do even

better.

 

Chop some more wood, carry some more water! Progress is being made, but lets not

always measure it in phenomena. Measure it in ways you've applied your practice

this day. In ways you were tolerant, forgiving, serving, grateful, and patient.

Look in your basket at the end of the day. And if it's full- rejoice and

continue tomorrow! And if it could be a little fuller then look at your day and

recapitulate and know you can do better the next day. And do it! This is

progress! This will lead to our awakenings.

 

be well, bradly