How is practice?

A Spiritual Aspirant who prays that he be free from all problems and obstacles in his daily life and Spiritual Practice, is praying The Fool's prayer. For how is that even possible for "Regular" people like us, when great sages like Buddha, Jesus, Mother Teresa, H.H The Dalai Lama and a great many Lights of Humanity had to face the toughest toils and most difficult challenges?

For what is an obstacle or a problem but an examination after a period of learning? Just as when we go to school, at the end of the term in order to advance to the next grade we need to take a final's exam. The same goes for life AND spiritual practice. It is difficult to totally seperate the two for they are closely linked and interdependent.

For instance, when we want to practice patience, we need to meet people who are there to make us impatient in order for us to know where we stand! Even if we FAIL, it's no big deal try again. At least we know how patient we REALLY are and not delude ourselves. For unlike school, where days and time is limited, the spiritual classroom has a countless number of life times for all to take the path until we get it right.

Those of us who constantly rant and whine about why life is so bad or so tough are definitely not a traveller on the spiritual road. These are people who stand outside the race track and cheer on those that run the race... not a bad deal... only depends on what we want. Life for some is so bad, because we chose it to be like that. These are the fruits of whatever labor we had put in previously. We don't even talk about previous lives, just this life is apparent, offend people when we are high and proud, is the surest ways to make enemies. As life would have it, sometimes life takes a dip, and imagineif the person whom you offended was a judge in court and we are the alleged who is being sued for foul conduct... no matter how JUST a person is SUPPOSED to be, his mind naturally will remember our negative deeds and be partial judging from his own experience.

There are of course those of us who pray to Protector deities and expect miracles each time!! As we mature in our practice, a true protector's main function is to keep us on the path, and help us to improve and transform ourselves to benefit others. How so? If at a drop of a pin of trouble, we ask for total eradication of all obstacles? Then we will never learn the solution out. How so, if we pray that the protectors help us make a right choice of action? Dharma Protectors will not stop a devotee from committing any "SINFUL" acts, for it is the devotee's chance to learn to do the "right" thing. The guardians and protector's will give hints and signs, but will never take the choices out of our hands. That is because at the end of the day, our guides and helpers cannot go into the examination hall on our behalf.... we are on our own volition equiped only with the knowledge and understanding that we have learnt from the teachers

How is practice? Practice is APPLYING that which we have learnt in "class"... for learning, reading, listening, meditating is one thing... true practice is about APPLYING all that we have learnt,read, heard and realised into a situation where only our knowledge has the ability to free us from the cage of ignorance.

Om Mani Padme hum