I just can't seem to persist in my practice of Buddhism. It is too hard and unattainable

Have you encountered such states?
whether it is keeping certain precepts?
Being vegetarian while your relatives and friends are enjoying their sumptuous meals?
Or controlling your anger and building your compassion for other people?
Or taking on volunteer work that is seemingly thankless?

Master Ri-Chang has some words of wisdom for you:

我们容或有的时候啊,就像眼前我们总觉得这个事情,觉得千辛万苦,好像很难。往往这个概念会把我们修行会障碍住了,会障碍住。听了道理,容易;做起来,唉呀,觉得很难!现在呢,你换一个方法想想看。
Master Ri-Chang first talks about the challenge.

比如说,我们现在眼前,有的人有各种不同的嗜好─吃辣椒。你刚开始吃辣的时 (p246) 候,这个天生来就吃辣来就好吃啊?不会呀!一吃,哎呀,辣得个要命!哎哟,你教那个时候那真……尤其是小孩子,吃了,吐啊,弄了个半天,不晓得怎么样是好。我还记得小时候,我就看见,我自己也没这个经验,我自己的事情总是忘得干干净净。喔,看见那弟弟妹妹,或者别的人哪,那个小孩子断奶的时候,就是断不了,那么怎么办呢?欸,那个母亲啊,就用点辣的东西涂在那个奶头上,那他一吃,哎呀,那从此以后看见他就不要吃了!几乎没有一个例外的,我想我们都有这个经验。等到有一段,你上了这个、这个嗜好养成功了,叫你没辣的,你就没胃口了,对不对?欸,那是人人有这个经验啊!
He describes the habit of eating chili.

所以问题在什么地方呢?你就不断地薰习,所以叫“习”啊!修习、修习。然后你吃,没有一个例外的,比如说茶,现在我也满欢喜喝茶,可是我现在因为这个不好,所以不喝茶。刚开始的时候,喝一口,欸,苦苦的,有什么好吃啊?到后来,就是觉得到那时候你没这个茶下肚子,觉也睡不着那个味道就来了。很多各式各样的人,然后呢,抽烟什么……眼前的所有,没有一个例外的。你只要这样想到的话,你晓得:啊!不难,一点都不难。这个概念不是难不难,要你克服你的心理。所以我们往往啊……一再告诉大家,不是这个事情本身难,就是你自己的执着障碍啊!这无始以来的习气,你还没有做嘛心里就:“唉哟……”对不起,你就没有机会啦!所以第一个要把知见转过来,知见转过来, (p247) 你只要去努力去做,练习的话─欸,养成功习惯的,到那时候叫你不做还做不到。这个概念你第一个要养成功,第一个要认识。
And how similarly, we can build up our habit in learning and practising Buddhism

你时时记得一句话,你之所以不能做的话,为什么不做啊?贪眼前的小便宜!如果你能够如理如量观察的话,结果发现你贪了一点点小便宜,受无边大苦,你大亏本哪!我们人就这么愚痴啊!明明赚大钱就偏偏不要,偏偏要做那个亏本生意,这个人的愚痴到极点哪!所以这个概念你第一个摆在脑筋 (p248) 里头,下面的问题都解决了。
And also we seek instant gratification too much…if we can look towards the much greater gain at the end of the hard work put in… our problems in our practice will be solved.

Chinese text taken from Master Ri-Chang’s Lamrim Commentary Track 95b
While the text in English is my own rough and basic understanding of the meaning.

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Another of Master Ri-Chang’s encouragement to us to continue our practice and depend on the power of conditioning:
From Master’s Lamrim Commentary Track 97b

《Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds》says: Do not turn away from this difficulty. Although you were frightened upon hearing someone’s name, now, due to the power of conditioning, you dislike that person’s absence.

【即此论云:“困难不应退,皆由修力成,先闻名生畏,后无彼不乐。”】

这四句话,常常记在心里边,不要遇见困难就退心,不可以!(remember the 4 lines above. Do not retreat just because you face difficulties) 要晓得一切事情,都是由于修行才成功的。后面是举这个例子,对人也可以说怨家,对东西比如说辣椒,啊,你先一听见,你今天……。对我来说,我这个印象最深哪!一方面我又怕吃辣,一方面又这个胃。不过在这里也没有什么,那时我在印度的时候,常常有的时候,他们那些人都欢喜吃,大家非常欢喜吃辣椒的。他说:哎呀,今天有辣椒,他们就高兴得不得了!我一听到辣椒啊,哎呀,我心里面,心里面就害怕起来了,真是一点都没错。那是我现在因为有了胃病,所以心里边这样,假如我是一个小孩子的话,说不定弄到后来……我相信他们绝对不是天生来,在母胎里就欢喜吃辣椒的对不对?一定这个样子的,千真万确的。这个都靠什么?皆由修力生,你千万不要退啊!这一点千万注意、千万注意!

(p24) 现在我们太多大毛病都在这个上头,所以记住,所以记住,很多地方的你一定要策励自己:“我一定要努力,我一定要努力,我一定要努力!” (I must persevere, I must persevere, I must persevere!) 以在这个地方,有很多同修们常常说:“哎呀,我太笨哪!我太差呀!那我程度太低啊!”这样。欸,这一点,我一点都不在乎,因为我自己晓得,我也是非常笨、非常差、非常那个……。佛也告诉我们,他乃至于以前堕落畜生,堕落地狱。只有一样东西重要的,就是你自己说:“因为我差,所以我努力!” (It is because I am poor in my practice, that is why I must work harder) 这个最重要的。你只要肯努力,没有一件事情转不过来,而且唯一的只有靠这个力量!否则的话,就算你绝顶聪明也没有用。所以任何困难当中,心里面不要退。

A story of perseverance in practising Buddhism in the face of old age and health issues.

Hoping that such examples can inspire us to do the same and persist in our practice.

:pray:

It’s definitely hard to persist because practice is like forming a new habit, and it takes time to develop a new habit, especially if the habit is something which we are not used to and not familiar with. And if we expect ourselves to be able to change overnight and develop the habit fast, we will give up easily because we do not get the results expected.

I saw this post from Abbot Jing Yuan’s facebook, and found it encouraging.
"[Affirmative Thinking - Search for Gold Among Coal]
We need to embrace optimism and positiveness.
Search for diamonds in the mud; hunt for gold among coal.

Affirm the worthiness of what you have.
Do not be filled with regret and remorse for a particular mistake that you have made.
This is not self-consoling but to positively affirm oneself.

In a life of afflictions and hardships, for the little improvements you have made, you deserve to be commended and encouraged.

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