Effort vs Result

Lesson 1. 
The 1st real teaching I got after arriving was “to let go of the results”. Within The first hour after reaching my Teachers house I met two of my very dear friends one is a Tibetan Rinpoche – a recognised incarnate with some (or a lot of ) realisations – and the other a doctor in the Tibetan medical tradition.

We got talking about how long I have been coming here and they applauded me for showing such devotion to my guru in serving him by taking care of the preparations as well as of the guests… So I explained how I always strive to give people a good experience of Nepal. We talked a bit further but my doctor friend became quite quiet. Once we stopped talking he said:” Radia Don’t forget that dharma practice is doing good and the right thing but not being concerned with the result. No attachment to the idea of a good or bad result. He further said: “ you must have forgotten and that’s why you are so tensed”.

(Three lines from a quote of Atisha, a great Buddhist master, support my friend’s advice entirely)

The greatest quality is seeking to serve others.
The greatest effort is not concerned with results.
The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go.

I literally felt startled to the bone and at once relaxed into this feeling that I can do what I want to do but not care so intensely for the results.

The Big cleanse 
The day after he said it I got a fever in the second half of the morning right after having checked if all the rooms were in order for our guests to arrive. So I went to bed after having had two cups of hot water and slept till noon and woke up entirely refreshed as if the wind of anxiety had been blown from my bones.

The afternoon I spent with some friends browsing through Kathmandu and visiting the “Drolma Nam Sum” Tara Temple in old Kathmandu a place very dear to my heart!

"Drolam Nam Sum" Tara Shrine between Indra Chowk and Thahiti chowk Kathmandu

“Drolam Nam Sum” Tara Shrine between Indra Chowk and Thahiti chowk Kathmandu

The golden mean
So here it is, I feel more free to carry on as before but indeed let go of the anxiety for the result and also decided for the remaining period before my teacher arrives to a good morning’s work and a nice relaxing afternoon of shopping and meetings for my business mixed with shrine visits and a good tea or coffee at my favourite café to be back in the house for dinner at Seven.

Perspective
I don’t know about you but sometimes knowing you do the right thing is enough but in our western world we end to stress much about the sought after result and I too do tend to forget. In Buddhist practice the right effort (A combination of the right action, motivation and perseverance) is enough to bring about the results we wish without having to stress and observe us getting to our goals.  Love – Radia, The unusual Yogini

PS: So what does this blog post do for you? Can you relate or do you find it a strange perspective I have given here? Anyhow how do you remind yourself – mindfulness – to stay keep on doing the things in the correct way and not let other ideas/behaviour take over?

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