Evolution of Love 2

Viriya

Viriya (determination and strength)is a mental thing, not posture. When you are dying your body has no control, it’s the mind that stays mindful.

Sitting and lying meditation is good exercise for viriya because you have to apply more viriya without the support and aid of posture, but you must not keep falling asleep!

When you are not doing sitting meditation, and you don’t have the support of the posture but instead you are sitting on a chair or lying down, the mind relaxes and you need to try mentally harder to keep your mindfulness.

If your viriya is really strong, no matter how your posture is, it doesn’t matter. You can be upside down!

Keep kilesa noted regularly, don’t let it accumulate. Keep relaxed, check for tension now and then, check your emotions.

Are they involved? Are you in control? Don’t panic if you are not, just relax and get in touch.

The Buddha is not the statues and images in the pagodas that people go and visit all day long. The Buddha is inside you.

Just observe whatever the mind can be aware of at the moment, see how it goes to objects how it feels, be aware of it.

When it gets stronger it will be aware of many objects.

Save your energy to last you until the end of the day. Never think like: ‘In the morning it is best, let’s put all the effort then.’ Just practice. Save your energy to go through the whole day, until the end of it.

The mind needs to slow down, become stable.