There is a Japanese zen saying that goes something like, “With sincerity, the Dao can be reached within 3 Lifetimes.” I call it the Trotters path. A lot of sincere practitioners beat themselves up so much for not being a Buddha or conducting themselves Perfectly in life, and they truly struggle on their journey.
Sincere practitioners who go live in mountains, barely eat any food, endure extreme cold, heat, or living conditions in order to attain what they believe is Nirvana. My hats go off to them. I admire that and I know where they’re coming from because at one point in time I was sort of like that. Rushing and going to extremes in order to reach the top of the mountain, nirvana, awakening.
I wanted to go to China and learn all their secrets. I wanted the very best teacher. I desired to practice hard for years until I could say something akin to, “I’ve done it, all this work and I’ve finally reached my goal.”
Then I stumbled upon an old zen teaching. The Trotter’s path. You know what a Trot is? It’s a pace of movement between a walk and a run, something like a Jog. I call it the Trotter’s path because I’m not slow walking towards the goal of awakening. But at the same time I’m not forcing it either. I’m definitely not sitting in full lotus all day long (Hats off to you if that’s your style). But I’m also not wasting my life boozing, womanizing, drugging, clubbing, etc (walking, or worse, going backwards?).
Balance is key here. I feel many people will be close to this Trotter’s Path idea. It’s a real thing. However the key to it is your sincerity. Be sincere about it. Because sincerity is the thing that makes this Path possible.
If you can’t find the best teacher, the best teachings (I recommend Bill Bodri’s stuff all the time), the perfect place to practice in this life, take the Trotter’s path.
Ever since encountering the teaching on the Practitioner that practices the 6 Perfections or Paramitas only by becoming an expert at the one Paramita of Dana, Generosity, Giving, Offering etc. I’ve diligently applied myself to embodying this mode of functioning day to day.
What are the 6 Paramitas and what exactly is practicing the 6 by perfecting the one of Generosity or Dana? They are Dana, Sila, Ksanti, Vidrya, dhyana, and prajana. Do a quick search and see their English equivalent.
The point is learn how to offer and give not only physical things, but offer other things too, like thoughts, emotions, energy, a smile, and the like so you will be automatically practicing the other Paramitas.
Just a quick Hint for you to explore. By the way, you can eventually find that Gem teaching hidden somewhere in the pages of the book, “A Treasury of Mahayana Sutra: Selections from the Maharatnakuta Sutra by Garma C. C. Chang.
Easy does it!