Do you turn life into a to-do list?
This Buddhist ritual brings back joy.
Making life a to-do list
Of never ending chores,
Everything becoming
A task to complete.
Void of any joy.
Do you do that too?
Don't we suck the life
Out of everything that way?
Vampires of our own joy?
Making dinner for our visiting friends.
Getting a new suit
For our best friends wedding.
Checking the travel insurance.
Going to a birthday party,
Getting a gift for that birthday party...
Every task,
Every little bit that needs doing,
Every appointment in our diary,
Becomes a chore in our mind.
It gets sucked empty.
Becomes devoid of life,
Soul-less.
It all feels like a burden,
A task to complete,
A job to get done.
Even the things
Which we actually enjoy.
Like a vampire,
We suck the life out of it.
Do you recognise this, dear fellow Inner Pilgrim?
Do you do the same?
Three suggestions:
1) Stop doing what isn't necessary.
Either by dropping perfection or
By hiring someone to do it for you.
And fill the space with things you love.
2) Re-connect with what matters most.
Remember what gives you joy.
And think how you can
Get 1% closer to that today.
Just 1%.
We can all do that, right?
And that will make you want more,
And change another 1%.
Slowly, slowly, before you realise
You’ve made your dreams come true.
3) For the things you've
Got to continue doing anyway,
Try this Buddhist approach,
It's called "aspiration prayers".
“Life isn't a to-do list to complete.
Life is an adventure to experience,
a gift to appreciate.
It's precious,
Use it well.”
- Karin Peeters -
The ritual goes like this:
While (for example) cleaning your home
Remember all those who clean for you;
In the train, the toilet at work,
The kitchen in the restaurant, the streets,
Mount Everest and your holiday beach.
And dedicate your efforts to them.
"May by me
Washing these dishes,
All those who clean for me
Have no suffering and only happiness".
“Aspiration means wishing for goodness: good things for others and good things for ourselves. Thinking and wishing this from the core of your heart is known as ‘aspiration’. It is a very powerful form of Buddhist practice.”
- Ven. Khenpo Rinpoche -
"May I clean and cook and earn money
So all who have done
Those things for me in the past
And will do for me in the future,
Be happy and well".
"May all those who currently
Are engaged in the same task as me,
All over this planet,
Do it with joy and a content heart.
When I carry my undertakings lightly,
May all others in similar situations
Be able to do the same" .
Think along those lines.
Be creative.
Notice how time flies,
Feel the joy it brings
The appreciation of others,
So similar to you.
You may wonder,
Does it work?
It surely makes me feel better.
And for those I dedicate to,
Will they notice?
I don't know. I don't have a clue.
I never asked.
I don't really mind.
It feels nice regardless.
But if indeed we are all one,
It must be good for something ;)
Life isn't a to-do list to complete
Life is an adventure to experience
It is a gift to appreciate
It's precious,
Use it well.
Here's a short video of me
Receiving a special gift from Buddhism
During my recent sabbatical.
With joyous effort,
Karin
P.S.
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Alleviates our Western lives?
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Photos, with gratitude: Unsplash.
“Wise words”
“This “To-Do List called Life” is a great description of how I live my life.
Sometimes I can look at my list of tasks with a peaceful mind, and other moments it makes me feel so restless.”
