New Year's Resolution

New Year's resolutions are for people not already on a path. If you're on the path, you just keep on the path. There's ethics, study, fellowship, devotion and meditation. Whatever issues you're working with can be worked on by those 5 major practices of Buddhism.

This year I may be trying to let go of this thing instead of that thing, but whatever, the intensity of my friendships, psychotherapy work, recovery work, journaling, focusing, non-violent communication, whatever, will support the identification and advancement of issues, and the direct study of ancient texts, thinking, reflection, ethical reflections, really engaging in being ethical, not hurting people, not stealing anything, communicating positively, avoiding intoxicants, maybe even trying to not get intoxicated while watching soccer. 

I'm always working on various things, but New Years it's time to think bigger maybe, on the yearly level. I can never think that way. Keep working the same issues on a larger scale? Be more in the moment? Grind harder on the insight tetrad when I'm doing anapanasati? Should I cling less to the joy of meditation? I don't think so, I enjoy it and move on to the focus of the meditation, the 16 stages of anapanasati, or the stages of the various Brahma Viharas. In formless meditation, I just rest in awareness, fending off the temptation to pick up what my mind throws at me. 

Which reminds me of an Annie Edison quote from Community: "Your last blow-off class taught me to live in the moment, which I will always regret, and never do again."

This year I resolve to appreciate humor and word play. 

New Year's Resolution

I think my specifics of personal development are transitory and sometimes not transitory enough (there are dynamics I am working on in psychotherapy). But for the most part, I think I can safely say, that every year, all the time, I wish to deepen my taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. To fully elaborate that would be quite a spectacle. Just to give a sliver, I mean following the ten precepts more closely, among other things. To be more specific about that is to do less harm, be more generous, speak more truthfully and harmoniously. Elaborating taking refuge could be endless, it's very rich, deep.

Let's just say meditation, Dharma study and spending time with spiritual friends are key. Being kind and mindful are key. Keep it simple. I think simplifying is a big key for me. I want to read the Dharma more slowly, really put into practice what I'm reading (when appropriate). I want to be kinder. I want to really push myself to expand my awareness of others, and thus my kindness to them. I want to aim for more clarity. I want to keep pursuing the questions and not know, unlearn. I want to tolerate the ambivalence of not knowing, develop my Keat's negative capacity. It goes without saying I want to be kind, gentle and supportive to my wife and sons. They are big teachers for me. I want to learn from them. And I want to extend that to everyone. I want to live with more metta. And I want to be on time to work, so I'd better go.