A foggy, misty morning enveloped the Bay Area as I drove to work. This was a familiar route I’ve traveled countless times, and I knew what lay beyond the veil of mist and fog. But what I want to focus on is how, this morning, the veil was lifted from my mind as I chanted and meditated.
Here's the story:
A few days ago, as I was returning home from the gym, someone flagged me down. He wasn’t with his family at the time, but he thanked me for helping them when they joined the weight class that I was in. He shared that he never thought his wife would ever touch a barbell, but she started lifting because I helped her set up the equipment and made her feel welcomed in the class. I laughed it off, thinking it was no big deal. But then he told me not to downplay my efforts because they had made a real difference in their lives. The conversation took an unexpected turn when he said he believed the universe puts people in your path when you need them. His family needed me to guide them at that moment, and that’s when I appeared. I was deeply touched and felt good.
But just as my ego swelled, the next day at work, after a meeting, a colleague who was having a tough day told me that the meeting I had just led was a waste of time. The air quickly deflated from my inflated ego. I reflected on his harsh words, and they lingered in my mind, leaving me unsettled. That night, during my chanting and meditation, I decided to chant for him, which brought some relief. However, the next morning, the same critical thoughts about him resurfaced. As I meditated, I dedicated my practice to him, wishing him peace. But quickly I realized that I wasn’t chanting for him—I was chanting for myself, so I wouldn’t accumulate bad karma by harboring negative thoughts toward him. In that moment, I felt a sense of relief as I further understood the mystical principle of cause and effect from Lotus Sutra and broke the cycle of negative energy. So, the universe put this colleague in my path when I needed to understand the cycle of cause and effect better. It was as if a veil had been lifted, clearing the mist and fog from my mind.
There was another lesson here not to become too attached to praise, because the opposite is always just around the corner.
Комментарии