Cattāri Brahmavihārā

264. Whoever makes love grow boundless,
And set his mind for seeing the end of birth,
His fetters are worn thin.

If he loves even a single being,
Good will follow.
But the noble one
With compassionate heart for all mankind
Generates abounding good.

Anguttara Nikaya IV.151

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How far from this ideal has my habitual state of mind been over the last few days?  I am so fortunate to have the Dhamma and good kalyanamittas to have helped me navigate this typhoon of delusion and aversion that threatened to swamp not just my practice but my entire life as well.

I have a sneaking suspicion that my encounter with the restaurant owner would have gone very much differently if i had applied more energy and effort during my cold and sat the length of my normal sessions. Instead,  i made the decision to show myself “compassion” by letting the mind and heart wallow in delusion. It is clear to me now that, in my car at least, such a choice is not the compassionate resolve,  rather it is a path fraught with danger and paved by laziness and dissipation. May i do better and resolve to always use every last ounce of energy for the practice of awakening. May i never forget the lesson learned and may we all practice diligently to free ourselves from suffering.