Our forebears have advised that if we wish our minds to think well, speak well, and act well throughout the entire day, we must seek out a source of joy — from the very moment we rise each morning, we must find something that brings gladness to the heart.
For it is this very joy that becomes the uplifter of the mind, enabling us to maintain clarity and purity of thought throughout the day. As the ancients expressed it, one must begin with an auspicious and triumphant start from the moment of waking. Whoever is able to do so is truly most fortunate.
To cultivate such joy from the early hours of the morning, one may recite prayers and pay homage to the Buddha, sit in meditation, and then go to offer alms. These practices bring joy to the heart, and that joy in turn serves to sustain and steady the mind. Regardless of what one may encounter — in the late morning, at midday, or in the evening — whether from the pressures of work or from unfavorable surroundings, this inner joy acts as a support, preventing the mind from being stirred into a state of disturbance and cloudiness.
For once the mind is agitated, unwholesome thoughts, speech, and actions are sure to follow, allowing negative karma to take hold and diminishing the clarity and purity that the mind ought to possess. However, when one has already found joy from the break of dawn, that day begins with a gain from the very first hours — a shield of protection is in place from the moment one awakens, and it becomes most difficult for anything to cloud the mind.
12 January 2015
