Who has time to practice?

Today is October 10, 2011. In my e-mail this morning came the following quotation chosen by Lama Surya Das, which I would like to share with any who do not receive these weekly messages. This quotation speaks to the sense of being squeezed by our too-busy, over-scheduled days, to the harried feeling that we are required always to do more, do it faster, and keep up with some standard that is external to ourselves. We all "don't have time" to do what we say we want to do (say, our practice) and so we let it drop with a lick and a promise. Stated priorities go out the window while we're busy putting out fires all around us. We all know -- well at least we have heard -- that NOW is all the time there ever was or ever will be. This quotation, from a very young man -- is a reminder that all we need is what we already have, if we make our "practice" our life right now.

Namaste to my dear dharma sisters and brothers. Naomi

WEEKLY WORDS OF WISDOM
on the World Wide Web
chosen by Lama Surya Das

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"Time will not come to you, come knocking on your door. You have to look for time.
Time is precious, its impermanent. You have to make the time for practice.
When, in your daily life, you have taken care of your regular tasks and the question comes to mind,"now what" now practice! That's the time to do it. Even just a few minutes.
When you can practice anywhere - that's the great monastery, retreat center which is with you always."

--Kalu Yangsi Rinpoche, aged 20

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