Fall Harvest Refining Buddhist cultivation

This year fall is seeming to arrive early.   Here in Iowa the whole state has been dealt a devastating blow with an early spring drought that has not seen much rain.  We are facing rising corn prices and other crops as well due to the extensive damage done with the heat wave we had all summer long.

How are we to progress with so much economic stress? The cost of living is horrifically rising again; gas is going up, that means heat and electric will rise too. Facing hardships which has been non-ending since the worsening economic crisis of the Bush era presidency policies of greed and corruption.

The answer in mind training is to remain consistent in your daily practice and even if your schedule is interrupted you still embrace study of Buddha dharma while you are in a pause or even in a few minutes of an erratic frenzied life.

Carry your practice into your chores.  Vacuum the floor, sweeping or mopping are repetitive actions that allow you to clean thoroughly and meditate with awareness. Dusting regularly is another good action. However, as much as you like to try to say it, shopping is not meditation it is actually an addiction; a short term anti-anxiety solution with the only result in less cash, more debt if you use credit and lots more stuff in your home.

Built in pauses in your daily schedule in  or out of monastery life.  Find them, use them. Treasure them.

As Fall approaches gather in the harvest. Count your benefits, see the result of your efforts. Store what is valuable and that can carry you through the long cold Winter and nurture you welcoming the Spring in new growth.

I bow to Immortality Buddha (Namo Amituofo!)