Remedy obstacles with one intention

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Life sometimes seems to have its own plans, and we get waylaid and sidetracked by Internal and external obstacles.

Internal and external obstacles of practice can affect your motivation to practice being of service to others. The internal obstacles are feeling stuck, disheartened, burnt out, depressed, tired, confusing emotions, or just generally resistant to practice. We face the external obstacles of sickliness, distraction, and preoccupation with trivia, living an over-scheduled life, and relationship troubles.

All these obstacles are remedied by the understanding that others are experiencing them too and wishing to help them break free of their grip. …Have compassion for everyone who is suffering like this. The ups and downs of practice can modulate the intensity of the obstacles we experience. One day we are focused and have a great experience the next; we leave a trail of misery in our wake. This slogan, no matter our experience, focuses on the simple remedy to all obstacles. To have the intention to wake up to reality at this moment and be of service to others.

It is the habit of the small self to think of obstacles as problems to be overcome. We believe they are impediments to awakening, but in fact, they are essential to practice and are sufficient to be meditated with and used as a means of waking up. They aren’t an indication of our failures but opportunities to practice. Think of them as the practice itself. Every time you suddenly notice and recognize the presence of an obstacle and its habit of energy is a moment of practice. You have successfully returned to the present. As our friend, Thich Nhat Hahn, would say _ “Hello, my habit energy [obstacle], I know you are there!” If we just smile at it, it will lose much of its strength. Mindfulness is the energy that allows us to recognize our habit energy and prevent it from dominating us._ ¹

When noticing that you’ve lost track of kindness, use kindness for yourself to return to the intention of helping all beings. “Always come back to this best and most basic motivation — the wish to care about others and to be of some service to them.” [^@Fischer:2013aa]

Focus your efforts on making this intention your every moment background habit of mind. If you want to commit to doing or learning something, you must make space for it in your life. Each moment is a fresh opportunity to wake up to your life.

Use misfortune as practice ……………………………….[[201903100511]] Focus on a singe intention ……………………………….[[201904070610]] Cultivate an ever-present joyful mind ……………………..[[201903200647]] Always train in the 3 basic elements ………………………[[201903220513]] Two activities: begin the day, end the day …………………[[201904090608]] Begin with the beginning …………………………………[[201902280602]]

Alternate Titles

• Correct all wrongs with one intention
• Overcome all errors through a single means
• All corrections are made in one way
• Counteract all withdrawal by means of one
• Practice every suppression of interference by one
• Apply one remedy in all adversity
• Subdue all obstacles by one method
• Remember your intention

04-08-2019 - 5:10 AM ›[[201904080510]] → #slogans