"When
the karma has come, there is no use doing anything to make up for
it. If it has not yet come, then you don't have to force yourself.
For example, my clothes, they are very soft. Should they be caught
by the thorns of a rose, could I take them away immediately? They
would be torn. I have to disentangle them slowly and carefully;
in that way, I can protect both the rose and my clothes.
When
the time comes we take all of them out. Everything will be fine,
after we have taken the last thorn out. There's no need to pull
so fiercely. Both would be destroyed, the rose and my clothes.
So,
practice can't be too extreme. We pass through many stages in life.
We should do certain things at certain stages. Since we cannot avoid
it, it's useless to force ourselves in order to avoid it."
From "Keep The Middle Way In Spiritual Practice"
News 65, Pearls Of Wisdom
Spoken by Supreme Master Ching Hai
7-Day Retreat in Hsihu Center, Formosa • May 5-12,
1991
(originally in Chinese)
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