When we see suffering in our life, we can be curious, notice and be mindful of our reactions to that. The reactions are usually habitual. Instead, we could see the next impulse coming up and how we spin off from there, without judgement or intention. Just spin off.
No matter how much progress in our self-cultivation we achieve in one day, we must continue the next. Progress is often so subtle that we may feel the effort is futile, but we must keep doing it every day with the same enthusiasm.
We make a clay pot, but it is the inner empty space we use. We build a house, but it is the inner space that makes it livable. We work with being, but nonbeing is what we use. Nonbeing and being create each other.
If you achieve something significant and you focus on such real undertakings, you may experience envy and disfavor. The more you limit yourself to actual achievements, the less harm the envious people can inflict on you.
Quote: Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.