Cattāri Brahmavihārā

May I never break my commitment to serve and care for all beings.

May I never abandon beings in anger, lust or delusion.

May I always keep my precepts pure.

As part of my renewed commitment to be of more use and service to all beings (as well as myself) I am taking up the practice of dry fasting on Mondays and Thursdays again. And, although it should be no big deal, or never ceases to amaze me how quickly I can be reduced to desperation simply through denying myself food and drink. Clearly, if I have any pretense of helping others in times of catastrophe and difficulty, this kind of fasting provides fertile ground for working on my aditthana and viriya.

My most recent 42 hour liquid fast really helped me to see just how much this life is determined by our thoughts. When I was eighteen years old and in the prime of my life I never could have imagined going without food for a day let alone meditating every morning. As Arya Shantideva had said, there is nothing that does not become easy through practice. May I be sure to practice only the good so that it becomes easy for me.