In Buddhism it is said that good prevails and evil is vanquished, this is one of the laws of the universe. I have seen that this is manifested over and over in the myriad kindnesses and the small acts of friendship done along the way. It is not dependent on the “grand act” that one might think hearing this stated in its rather old-fashioned way.
Perception, visual perception, is interesting. Our eyes zoom in and out effortlessly. Now near, now far away. Now mid distance. The whole of the scene is taken in while particulars take their place.
Walking around the fields these past couple of days, dim and cloudy as it has been, these scenes called to me drawing out a field of view where one can become large of mind. Ah! The hills, the flower, the fields.
Recently an elderly friend signed off her email with, Happy Jubilations! When I allow myself to mentally expand my field of view I can echo her sentiment.
Habits get a bad press in Buddhism. We use the term habit energy to describe that which drives our behavour. That’s the harmful habits which are the focus of attention when following a Buddhist practice. Habits can too often be unthinkingly linked in the mind as being BAD. But not all habits are harmful. Some can help turn around a life of undirected and half-hearted effort. Habits can indeed be good.
I must confess that when a friend quoted the saying below I took a double take. What? Habits that mint gold! Poetic yes, and from a training perspective we are in the business of aligning behavour with the Precepts. Of turning around our lives, for the good.
Habits are human nature
Why not create some
that will mint gold?
