Chapter Three : Practice 5

The Founding Master said,
“No matter what one may be doing, whether a person is wholly devoted to it or not depends on how well he understands its connection to him. A person is diligent in obtaining clothes and food because he understands that clothes and food have a close connection to sustaining his life; a patient diligently seeks a cure because he understands that his health depends on finding that cure; a practitioner trains diligently, because he understands that practice is vital to his future. A person who understands these connections will readily overcome the myriad hardships and suffering caused by practice, and will not complain even when teachers or colleagues are inattentive to him. However, if one does not understand these connections, one will have no patience when practicing, will feel unfounded dissatisfaction toward one’s teachers and colleagues, and will feel like he’s practicing and working for someone else. You all must review with a critical spirit whether you have awakened to what connections your practice has to yourselves.”

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