Do your best,

and remember that being able to accomplish something

depends on conditions.

Life would be much easier if we knew in advance whether our efforts would prove productive. If they would, we could proceed. If not, we could cease our labors knowing that whatever we did, they were doomed to failure. Very simple. Alas, most of us do not have the calm, clear mind to determine whether conditions will prove favorable. And so we need to proceed as best we can, always trying to work around problems as they arise, placing one foot in front of the other. At times we just plod on in hopes that our good intentions will join with skillful means to find fertile conditions. For all we know, our good-intentioned plodding may be just what is needed. Alternatively, it may not be enough. Either way, we will have planted positive seeds for our future. Then, saying we did the best we could, let go of regret and disappointment.

Hold phenomena in your hand, 

not your heart. 

Attachments—those myriad things we cling to that bind us to endless rebirths and suffering. And so, those who hope we will free ourselves of suffering, advise us to let go of our attachments. But such advice sounds like being told we should exist in a monochrome world when those around us relish a world ablaze with color. If we think this way, we have misunderstood. When we relinquish attachments, we can still hold the person, the object, the experience, the idea in our hands, marveling at being able to hold them thus, awed by how something so precious has come to us. What we do not do is hold the phenomena in our heart, seeking to keep them always with us, never wanting to let them go as if we were clutching a rare songbird. Clasping the bird in our heart, it will die, crushed by our clinging. Allowing it to rest lightly on our hand, it will thrust out its chest to joyously sing, while we are filled with delight, not attachments.

Remaining silent requires less energy 
than watching every word.

Of the three karmas—thought, speech, and action—speech is the one that gets us into the most trouble. It’s so easy! Open mouth; say whatever comes to mind. And therein lies the problem. Oblivious of the countless infinitesimal thoughts streaming through our mind, we’re so caught up in events and our feelings that we’re not even aware of what we’re about to blurt out. Upon hearing what we just said, we may well regret our words. Or at least wonder what possessed us to voice them. Once again, we resolve to monitor our thoughts before we embarrass ourselves further. And once again, we are amazed at the energy it takes to do this. It’s exhausting. Plus, by the time we decide how best to say something, the conversation has moved on. How much easier it would be to not offer every rising opinion, to speak only when necessary, and to keep our mouth in what is often the safest position—closed.

Come away from your mistakes, 

neither uncaring nor overwhelmed by guilt,

but determined to do better in the future.

How often have you sighed: Why did I say that? How could I have acted so callously? If only I hadn’t! Guilty thoughts can haunt us for the rest of our life, sneaking up on us, unwanted and unexpected. We just don’t seem able to let go of painful memories of the harm we did. But we need to. If not for our own sake, we need to for the well being of others. Being guilt-stricken over personal idiocies doesn’t make us better people. Think you’re repaying a karmic debt? Who are you repaying it to? Who is benefitting from your guilt? Somehow, someway, we need to release our guilty feelings. It’s not that we no longer care about what we did. We just care more about what we can do from now on. And the best thing we can do is get to the Pure Land because from there, finally, we will be able to find and help all those we harmed. So much better than drowning in guilt.

Do not compare one person to another.

Everyone is different—a combination

 of karmic causes and consequences.

Throughout our past lives, we have planted incalculable seeds, some of which have matured in this lifetime. Far more have not. For example, when you gave fearlessness, you planted the seeds for a healthy, long life. But what if those seeds have not yet matured? It is very likely you will be undergoing health problems, maybe even severe enough to affect your lifespan. And so, you suffer. Now, imagine I come along and, observing your problems, compare you to a healthy person we both know. Not only will I have not minded my own business, I will have thoughtlessly spoken out when I had no right to and increased your suffering. Not to mention failed utterly to give fearlessness. There goes my future good health! So, instead of comparing one person to another, celebrate the past deeds of the fortunate one and encourage the other to plant more such seeds for a better future.