Changing our minds, becoming better human beings, helping others – it all takes effort, there’s no doubt about that. Which means in order to move forward, to be successful, to struggle through difficult times, we need to be sustained by enthusiasm. Otherwise we’ll just give up!
We’re all a work in progress. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, “We can mold our mind into any shape we like.” Why should we change our minds? Because from the Buddhist perspective, that’s the method for molding our mind into the mind of a happy, wise, fulfilled, content, self-confident person. And on the basis of that we can then be of benefit to others.
Actually we know how to do this in everyday life: if we want to mold our mind into the mind of a musician, a carpenter, a mathematician, we know it’s possible. With perseverance, with effort – and having the skills – we know we can achieve our goal.
But changing our mind into the mind of a happy person — we’re not so sure we can do that! And that’s because we think happiness comes from the outside world, so we spend our lives trying to change that instead! It’s not easy to look inside and see that if I worked on my own mind, my responses to the outside world, which means the attachment and expectations, the anger and annoyance, etc., that’s a far more powerful method in the long run. And for this we certainly need effort!
Attachment is at the bottom of it – surprisingly, perhaps. What’s the opposite of enthusiasm? What prevents us from making effort? The opposite is “I can’t be bothered.” In other words, laziness.
And what is it we can’t be bothered doing? The thing that takes effort. And what takes effort? Doing what we’re not familiar with. And because attachment to being in our comfort zone is so primordial, we won’t do it – we won’t make effort.
Then there’s a sneakier level of laziness. “I’m too busy, I’ll do it later.” We know later never comes. And it’s the same logic as above. What are we too busy to do? That which takes effort, that which threatens our comfort zone. But with “I’ll do it later” we feel kind of virtuous, off the hook. But we know that all it does is build more tension. We carry around all these burdens of jobs we’ve put off doing.
We all know that if we want to achieve something, we first set the goal. And then we have to make effort, because we have to stretch ourselves beyond our comfort zone. That takes effort, for sure!
It’s hard to go beyond our comfort zone when it comes to our practice, our formal practice as well as our day-to-day practice of watching our minds, controlling our speech, etc.
Of course, we don’t believe we can achieve the goal – and this is the deepest laziness: “I can’t do it, I’m not capable.” But we can. And, just like anything else we’re learning, it’s gradual. As I said, we’re a work in progress. You don’t go to the gym on the first day, or even the fiftieth, and expect to come back home with a marvelous body! You don’t turn into a carpenter overnight. You don’t turn into a happy, wise, fulfilled, content person overnight, either.
We have to know it’s gradual. When you know – and this is the key – when you know the benefits of your goal, when you know the benefits of a healthy body, you’ll make effort. When you know the benefits of being a carpenter, you’ll make effort. When you know the benefits of and have confidence in your ability to work on your mind, which is to be more fulfilled, more patient in the face of problems, more courageous, more confident, therefore, more compassionate and empathetic, then you’re glad to make the effort.
But it’s one step at a time. Not just hit and miss. Not just cross your fingers. We need to make effort. Eventually, it becomes happy effort – the lamas call it joyful effort – because you can taste the results. And then finally you have enthusiasm and won’t give up – the key to success.