Curing Lethargy and Laziness ... !!!
Bhikkhu Samahita
Friends:
How to cure the dull, slow, sluggish & heavy Lethargy & Laziness!
In these days, Lethargy-&-Laziness may commonly be induced by
self-destructive behaviour such as:
Alcohol, drugs, dope, pills, marihuana,
sniffing, over-eating, excessive masturbation and night-living.
Such often
life-long chemical or behavioural causes of Lethargy-&-Laziness should be
eradicated...
As long as this is not
achieved one remains a phlegmatic & apathetic zombie, drifting
downwards!!!
Go straight & come clean! Addiction is pain! Freedom is
bliss! Chemical calm is neither cool nor clear!
First priority: Noticing
Lethargy-&-Laziness
(thīna-middha)
emerge can make it evaporate:
Herein, Bhikkhus, when
Lethargy-&-Laziness is present in him,
the bhikkhu notes & understands:
There is Lethargy-&-Laziness in me, and when Lethargy-&-Laziness is absent, he notes &
understands:
There is no Lethargy-&-Laziness in me. He also understands
how unarisen Lethargy-&-Laziness
arises.
He understands how to leave behind any arisen Lethargy-&-Laziness, and he understands how
left
Lethargy-&-Laziness will not
arise again in the
future.
MN 10
What is the feeding cause
that makes Lethargy-&-Laziness
arise?
There are boredom, apathy,
tiredness, lazy stretching of the body, heavy drowsiness after meals,
mental
sluggishness, frequently giving irrational & unwise attention to these
mental states, this is the
feeding cause of the arising of unarisen Lethargy-&-Laziness, and the feeding cause of
consolidation
and deepening of Lethargy-&-Laziness, that already has
emerged. SN
46:51
What is the starving cause
that makes Lethargy-&-Laziness
cease?
There are the events of
Initiative, of Launching into Effort, and of tenaciously
Enduring Persistence,
frequently giving rational & wise attention
to these three mental elements, is the starving cause for the
non-arising of
unarisen Lethargy-&-Laziness, and the
starving cause for the arousing and stirring of
Lethargy-&-Laziness, that has already
emerged.
SN 46:51
The Supreme
Ideal:
Before the Buddha sat down
to meditate in order to attain enlightenment, he made this
determination:
May just all flesh and
blood of this body dry up into a stiff frame of only bones, tendons and
skin...
Not before having achieved, what can be achieved by manly strength, manly
power, manly energy,
will I rise from this seat...
MN
70
Some advantageous reflections to
return to whenever Laziness threatens:
How to stimulate the mind:
How
does one stimulate the mind at a time when it needs stimulation?
If due to
slowness of understanding or due to not having yet reached the happiness of
tranquillity,
one's mind is dull, then
one should rouse it through reflecting on the eight objects stirring urgency.
These eight are: birth, decay, disease & death; the suffering in the
hell, demon, ghost & animal world;
the suffering in the past rooted in
the round of existence; the suffering of the future rooted in the
round of
existence; the suffering of the present rooted in the pursuit & search for
food and
living.
Vism. IV,63
Perceiving the suffering in
impermanence:
In a bhikkhu, who is
used to see the suffering in impermanence and who frequently reflects on this,
there will be established in him such an acute sense of the danger in
laziness, apathy, inactivity and
lethargy, as if he were threatened by a mad
murderer with drawn
sword.
AN
7:46
Lethargy-&-Laziness
is an inner
mental Prison:
Just as when a man has been
forced into prison is Lethargy-&-Laziness, but later when he gets
released from this (inner) prison, then he is safe, fearing no loss of
property. And at that good
he rejoices, and is glad at heart... Such is the
breaking out of Lethargy-&-Laziness...
Another person has been
kept in jail during a festival day, and so could see none of the shows.
When
people say: Oh, how fun was this festival! He will remain shy, mute and silent.
Why?
Because he did not enjoy any festival himself... Similarly is prison of
Lethargy-&-Laziness...
Another person
that once had been in jail on a festival day. But when freed and celebrating the
festival on a later occasion, he looks back: Before due to my careless
laziness, I was in prison on
that day & could not enjoy this festival.
Now I shall therefore be Alert & Careful. Since he remains
thus Alert
& Careful no detrimental state can overcome his mind. Having enjoyed the
festival,
he exclaims: Oh, what a fun festival it was! Such is the freedom
from Lethargy-&-Laziness...
|
The remembrance of
Death: |
Easy is the shameless
life now. |
|
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Enthusiastic is Energy: http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Enthusiastic_is_Energy.htm
Arousal Get Up and Going: http://What-Buddha-Said.net/drops/Arousal_Get_Up_and_Going.htm
PS: Please include the word Samahita in any comment, since then
will my automatic mail filters pick it up and I will see it & respond!!
Bhikkhu Samahita, Sri
Lanka.
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& Free Bliss !!!
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