Just as time is needed for a perfume bottle’s fragrance to fade away,

it takes time for the scent of our habits

to wane.

Even after we wash and dry an empty perfume bottle, the fragrance will linger. Although the perfume is long since gone, its scent, or “habit energy,” remains and will need time to dissipate.

In a similar manner, our bad habits also need time to be dispelled. Even after we curtail an action, its habit energy, like the scent of perfume, remains. Lured by the habit energy’s lingering presence, we find it difficult to break the energy’s hold and cease the action.

The bottle held the perfume for just a few years and yet considerable time is required before the last traces of odor disappear. The few years the perfume has existed are nothing compared to the countless lifetimes we have committed misdeeds.

We will need a long time of diligently not acting from that habit energy for the habit to finally be extinguished. 

To no longer be attached is to be free of

self-centered thoughts and expectations. 

Non-attachment falls between two extremes. On the one hand lies detachment, the absence of being emotionally involved. Others often perceive a detached person as aloof, not caring. Clearly, not our goal.

On the other hand lies attachment, being emotionally entangled with a focus on a person, object, or idea. Not our goal either!

We seek non-attachment, which falls in the dedicated, hard-working middle ground. While not emotionally entangled, we still care. Very much so. And so we do our best in everything we undertake. But we do not get caught up in egoistic thoughts. Facing a task, we can ask, “What is the best way to do this” rather than state, “I want to do it this way.” Having thus reined in our ego, we stop expecting a desired outcome. Then when things do not go our way, as invariably happens, we will not fall prey to obstinacy and regrets.

Finally, no longer attached or entangled, we will be free.

Buddhism is like an immense mountain

with 84,000 paths leading to the peak.

Choose—and remain on—that path. 

To attain the summit of a mountain in the most effective manner, climbers choose one route. Depending on their abilities, some might prefer a more cautious approach, others a more challenging one. Having chosen the route, they don’t deviate. They do not keep sampling different ones, or they would end up touring the mountain instead of climbing it, thus wasting time and energy.

Our practice is the same. With the summit of enlightenment as our goal, we choose the path that best suits our conditions and abilities. Like the climbers, we too need to stick to our chosen route. Taking our eyes off our goal, we can become enthralled by another path. “It looks easier!” “It looks more challenging!” “I’ll try it!”

Enamored of sampling different options, we will end up circling the mountain having lost sight of our goal to reach enlightenment.

Strive to detect thoughts the instant

they arise, before speaking or acting.

Our thoughts occur with incredible speed and subtlety, and in staggering numbers.

As we begin to watch them, it seems they amble through one after another. We then peer more closely. No, wait a minute; our thoughts are more like thousands of first-graders in a school auditorium all shouting “Me! Me!”

Just as their dazed teacher calls on the loudest student, we go with the most noticeable thought. Without thinking, we act on it and sow a karmic result. At the same time, our other thoughts are also planting future results. Incredibly slight, but results nonetheless.

Our thoughts, imperceptible or unmissable, are vibrations and as such will have consequences, imperceptible or unmissable. Just as that teacher could calm her students by having them focus, momentarily at least, on their favorite ice cream, we too can gain control over our actions and results by focusing on “Amituofo.”

Hopefully, all the time.

Not having wandering thoughts does not mean not thinking.

Having focused on our task,

we do not dwell on it, lingering over failures or successes. 

Hearing we should desist from wandering thoughts might sound like we should avoid all thinking. Not so. Wandering thoughts refers to incorrect thoughts, not all thoughts. Having a task, we need to consider how best to accomplish it. And so we have correct thoughts. If others criticize how we did the task, we need to weigh the criticism. Was it valid? Or irrelevant? More correct thoughts.

But what if we keep replaying the criticism as if it were a favorite movie? We’re right back at immaterial, wandering thoughts. Why? Reminiscing about successes depletes our good fortune. Recalling failures plants the wrong kind of seeds: embarrassment, guilt, anger. Either way, we end up not paying attention to our current tasks. So, do not linger on the past.

Learn from it; then move on so you can focus increasingly on correct thoughts.