Sometimes we encounter problems and challenges in our lives, or we experience failure. At such times, we shouldn’t let setbacks rob us of our dignity and confidence. Instead, we should approach the situation in a constructive way. Think, “OK, I didn’t succeed here. Why not? What was I missing? What did I do wrong?” And take it all as experience. Then set out to remove the faults and flaws that caused the problem so you’ll be able to succeed in the future. In this way, we need to nurture inner dignity and confidence, even in the face of challenges.
This kind of dignity is such an important quality, and for practitioners it is simply indispensable. This dignity is a kind of courage, a decisive, unwavering certainty. It is not a shaky or hesitant state of mind, a thought like “Oh, I am not sure if meditation will really be beneficial or not. . . . I wonder if my meditation is okay or not. . . .” Nothing like that.
Many know the dharma, they understand it, but they still ask questions. This “can be “a lack of confidence and doubt in our commitment. Of course, if you don’t understand something or don’t know something, then you need to ask and should ask; but when you find yourself asking questions and feeling doubt about things you already know, that is a sign of resistance, of a not ready to move forward state.
What is the remedy for this? How can practitioners develop this “time to move forward” state? One word – Supplicate. Ask questions do your research, apply what you already know in each and every minute of your days. Focus on these tasks then return to your questions. You may just find that your answers lay more in letting go, than learning something new. This is the general approach that is common to all Buddhists. It is wishing this approach and understanding that we often find the hidden treasures that have lived within all along.
Peace and Love, Jim
