WYSIWYG

What You See Is What You Get. This is a journal blog, an explore-blog, a bit of this and that blog. Sharing where the mood takes me. Perhaps it will take you too.

Men-oI-you!

$;Tkr
Iishatkara - easy/doing little

This is a polite reference to finding the shortest way of doing something - preferably involving minimum effort; in other words, laziness! Why chose this for a series on self-development?

Well, as mentioned yesterday, there are no shortcuts to the proper raising of standards. The exercises and disciplines given by the teachers over the centuries have been tried and tested and proven, not once, not twice, but umpteen times. They have to be rehearsed and polished and checked and rehearsed and polished and checked and… Yet it is the case, especially in the early stages of seeking to make changes for the better, (but it can haunt us even at advanced levels), to want to find the most comfortable way of doing things in the hope of equal results. To become lax and think skipping steps will not be a problem.

The concert pianist will laugh at you. The master builder will watch as you hit your thumb. The jet pilot will blink as you crash and burn.

The sadhu in the Himalaya will not notice you because you have not done enough to rise to the state of unity with him or her.

Okay, so most reading here do not have any interest in moksha - freedom from the bondage of daily living whilst still living life. I would venture to guess, though, that if you have stuck around reading these posts, you do have at least some small interest in improving to some degree as a person.

Therefore, just as the pianist must build the strength of the fingers, the flow of the scales and sharpen memory skills, so it is that personal growth requires us to learn the life lessons of those who have done it before us, build our strength of character and hone our sensibility skills. Just as the master builder must be certain of his tools, sure of plans provided by the architect and have the expertise to interpret them correctly, so it is that we must accept the tried and true practices and trust the proven methods, and not seek to interpret them to suit our low and lazy ways.

Vedanta provides a very straightforward set of 'saadhanas' - daily practices. Not mere words to be read, but processes to be applied in daily life. Just like any other methodology, though, it requires the practitioner to be honest - brutally so - with themselves. We are a maze of personal history. If we cannot be true to ourselves, we can never unravel our own mystery...


15 comments:

  1. YAM what a very important message today.
    Practice makes perfect, doing something 1/2 way w/o thought or care is an insult to all and especial to yourself.
    Hugs and thank you for this message.
    HiC

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  2. Improvement comes with repetition. My eyes and mind read your opening word as 'trickster' and still won't let it go On the other hand, you're only fooling yourself thinking skill is free.

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    1. Hari OM
      Joanne, that is a brilliant take on the word! it is the tricky allure of Maya, the illusory world of desires which tricks us into thinking we can gain without 'pain' (effort)... Yxx

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  3. A beautiful, inspiring message. Thank you :)

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  4. As a retired math and foreign language teacher, I can totally relate to this message - and it truly does apply to all aspects of one's life.

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  5. If you want to be anything but mediocre at something, you have to go all in
    Debbie

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  6. 'Sire, there is no royal road to geometry' :)

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  7. I wish this was a concept I'd grasped when I was younger....or does that mean I'm older but wiser now and realise there's no quick shortcut!
    Jx

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  8. I completely agree with you Yam, but there is a little part of me that is basically a lazy slob who enjoys skipping the hard parts and just wants an easy ride. Fortunately I manage to keep it under control most days and just let it slip out occasionally - pyjama day anyone?

    Leanne | www.crestingthehill.com.au
    I for If Opportunity….

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    1. Hari OM
      &*> Of course there is no harm in the odd pyjama-day/recuperation period... indeed they can be useful for us to take stock - as long as we return to the fray refreshed and ready! Yxx

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  9. in the many years of my life, i have a large portion of those years being so honest with myself i did not like myself. i see the flaws in myself and try to change them and then see that i did not change them. i am not lazy UNLESS it is HOUSEWORK, my mother and her sister and her sisters children are all very lazy and somehow I missed that gene. for that i am thankful. Yes, i know what you said here is not about housework at all, but lazy about changing ourselves.

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  10. It's like programming - it's easy to hack something together, but what you need is something put together in a modular, structured way so that it can be built on later, and you need to have the tests written to make sure you're doing it right. The same principle really does often apply in real life.
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings - Movie Monsters

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  11. Beautiful message from your post. I loved it as always.
    Curious about the J post. :)

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  12. This makes me think of the old 4H motto, to make the best better. namaste, janice xx

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  13. These really require reflection and a quiet moment.
    There is no map, upon retirement. That has been my shock.
    Excellent work, Yam. You are amazing.

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