Awakening the Bodhi Mind

“In the face of war, social injustice, religious conflict, what difference can I make?

Cultivation is like rowing a boat upriver: 

unless we keep rowing steadily, 

we’ll end up adrift.

Sporadic cultivation does not provide as much benefit as cultivating daily. Few of us would disagree with that. But trying to squeeze one more task into our already hectic week is, at the very least, daunting. Plus, the time we make for chanting would be so brief. How will it benefit us? 

And so, we decide to set aside time to chant and study on weekends. But even if we manage to follow our weekend-only schedule, the benefits will not prove as significant as those from daily learning and practice. 

First, we will not have the calming effects that regular chanting brings, or the empowerment to gradually master our thoughts rather than be enslaved by them.

Second, cultivation includes applying the teachings in everything we do, not just while sitting in meditation or reading. Regular teachings—even brief ones—help us remain focused. Thus, by cultivating daily, we will steadily progress.