tasks and is, therefore, not as useful as it might be. It must be
trained to do those jobs in order to gain maximum benefit from
its work. Likewise, our minds should undergo training as a means
of understanding ourselves as we carry out all our daily tasks, be
they mental or physical, significant or trivial, gross or subtle.
Those who develop meditation as a solid anchor for the
mind enjoy reflecting carefully on whatever they do. They are
not likely to take unnecessary chances in a situation they are
unsure of, when a mistake could hurt them or someone else who
is involved. Meditative development brings definite benefits, both
immediately and in the future, but the most significant are those
we experience here and now in the present. People who develop
an aptitude for meditation will be successful at whatever they put
their minds to. Their affairs are not conducted half-heartedly, but
are well thought out with an eye to the expected benefits of a job
well-done. In this way, people can always look back with satisfac-
tion on the fruits of their labor. Since they are firmly grounded in
reason, people who meditate have no difficulty controlling them-
selves. They adhere to Truth as the guiding principle for all they
do, say, and think. They are mindful not to leave themselves open
to the myriad temptations that habitually arise from the kilesa of
craving – wanting to go there, wanting to come here, wanting to
do this, wanting to say this or think that – which give no guid-
ance whatsoever to right and wrong, good and bad. Craving is a
very destructive defilement that tends to lead us repeatedly into
misery in countless ways. In truth, we have no one to blame but
ourselves, so we are left to accept the consequences as something
regrettable, trying to do better the next time. When sufficient
mindfulness is maintained we can reverse this trend. But if we do
jacob rumans
(Jacob Rumans)
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