The mind is its own place,
and in itself can make
a heaven of hell,
a hell of heaven.– John Milton
(The below is based on a personal past experience)
Admitted to the first hospital
due to outbreak of drug allergy.
Sluggishly, the cause remained undiscovered,
with sluggish observation after observation.
There was so much discomfort
that I knew I should practise mindfulness of Buddha (Amituofo),
so as to not suffer on pointlessly,
yet there was so much discomfort
that it was difficult to be mindful of his name well even once.
It was the ‘curse’ of distraction by suffering!
I had failed in the struggle to practise!
This ‘hellish’ experience lasted one week.
Transferred to the second hospital
due to uncertainty of medical condition.
Swiftly, the cause was discovered,
with swift recovery under observation.
There was so much comfort
that I knew I should practise mindfulness of Buddha,
so as to not waste precious time,
yet there was so much comfort
that it was difficult to be mindful of his name well even once.
It was the ‘curse’ of distraction by complacency!
I did not even try to practise!
This ‘heavenly’ lasted one week.
Thus transpired brief tastes of ‘hell’ and ‘heaven’,
followed by ‘return’ to the human realm,
where there was realisation upon hindsight,
of how easy it is to be distracted from practice,
of why we should practise diligently daily to make it a strong habit,
of why we must not be distracted by fleeting sorrows and joys,
lest we are reborn as actual hell and heavenly beings, and in between,
who continue failing to connect to Amituofo to reach Pure Land,
who continue missing entering of this best Dharma school for Buddhahood,
who remain indefinitely trapped in the rounds of rebirth,
who rise only to fall, who fall only to rise,
for no truly meaningful purpose at all.
The higher you go,
the harder you fall.– Popular saying
Related Course:
Understanding Amituofo Via The Amitabha Sutra (18th Run)
https://thedailyenlightenment.com/2016/07/understanding-amituofo-via-the-amitabha-sutra-18th-run
