Gradually, gradually, a moment at a time,
the wise remove their own impurities
as a goldsmith removes the dross.
Dhammapada 239
Purifying gold, until it is completely free from dross, requires tremendous heat, takes a considerable amount of time and calls for great patience. The Buddha praised modesty as a supportive virtue on the spiritual journey, because he knew that when we get caught up in excessive enthusiasm we make mistakes. If we are not willing to patiently endure the discomfort of heat and frustration in our practice, we won't progress very far. Similarly, if we fail to invest adequate time, our other good efforts could be wasted. Purification doesn't proceed according to our preferences.
No comments:
Post a Comment