The Practice of Diligence
By: Ani Vidrine
Tags: Mindfulness, Yoga, Self Help, Spirituality, Personal Growth

The Practice of Diligence

In Gratitude to Patanjali

photo by Damir Spanic on Unsplash.com

Practice One: Using The Events of Life as Your Primary Spiritual Practice

An Asian parable tells the story of a farmer who lived in rural China hundreds of years ago. He had a son who was the apple of his eye and a prize stallion that he treasured. At the end of a long day, the farmer noticed that the gate to his pasture was open and that his stately horse was nowhere to be seen. When the villagers found out that his stallion was missing, they came over one by one and announced their condolences. They said, “Your valuable stallion is gone. Oh, it is so bad!” The farmer answered, “Who knows? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.” The people returned to their homes.

The next day the farmer sent his son to search far and wide for the stallion. He found it grazing in a field several miles away with another majestic steed and was able to guide them both back to the farm. The villagers came round again and declared, “You have reclaimed your noble stallion and acquired another beautiful horse, as well! Oh, it is so good!” The farmer answered, “Who knows? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.” The people returned to their homes.

The following day when the farmer’s son was attempting to break in the new horse, it bucked him off and the son crashed to the ground, breaking his leg. All the villagers came over and asserted, “That foul beast has broken your son’s leg! Oh, it is so bad!” The farmer answered, “Who knows? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.” The people returned to their homes.

As it happens, the emperor’s army entered the village the next day announcing that a war was underway, and all the young men were required to enlist. The farmer’s son could not go because he had a broken leg. The villagers congregated at the farmer’s home once again and proclaimed, “Your son’s leg is broken, so he cannot go to war! Oh, it is so good!” The farmer answered, “Who knows? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t.” The people returned to their homes. And so it goes . . .

Just like the villagers in this parable, every day I have the temptation to label events in my life as either good or bad. I put them in the “good box” or the “bad box.” I define an event as good according to how much pleasure it brings me. I categorize an event as bad according to how much pain I suffer in relation to it.

I know that I have put something in the bad box when I start to feel uncomfortable — anxious, sad, frustrated, angry, etc. I have decided that things should not be the way they are, and my body responds with physical cues of my mental discomfort.

The problem with putting something in the bad box is that my thinking follows that assessment. Now that I have labeled something as bad, I start to resist it — to resist what is. Once I start to resist it, then I try to manipulate the situation or person so that it will change to the way I think things should be. I begin trying to control something that is outside of my control. By this labeling, resisting, and manipulating, I cause my own suffering.

The trouble with putting things in the good box, being attached to a preference, is that once I label an event as good, then I start clinging to it and comparing it to what I have now. If now does not measure up to what I had then, I start to resist what is and try to manipulate the situation into being what I want it to be. Accordingly, if I become attached to what I have now and fear that the future will be less pleasurable, then I try to hold on to the present moment for dear life. By this labeling, resisting, and manipulating, I cause my own suffering.

The truth is that no event is inherently good or bad, but rather everything just is; and in this is-ness, there is an opportunity to love. Events are value-neutral. The experiences of pleasure and pain do not define the inherent value of events. Every situation provides the chance to surrender my attachments and aversions. In each moment I am invited to reframe my perspective by taking things out of the good box and the bad box and seeing everything as an opportunity to love.

Life provides many opportunities to be diligent in offering love.