Bill,
Sometimes it's great just to do things automatically without being
focused on them, that allows one to be mindful of more relevant things.
Edgar
On Nov 2, 2008, at 4:07 AM, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Jody,
You wrote:
>I think I understand that is the MOTIVATION that is important. If
a person
>has a driving desire to be a Phd in a subject that interests them,
then if
>the person pursues the subject they are studying with curiousity
and they
>focus on what they are doing today then that is the objective but
if they
>are driven to crave the PhD in the future without thinking of the
path to
>get there then that is where the problem is?
I think your thoughts above are close, but obtaining a PhD is a
goal. LEARNING MORE ABOUT [whatever] is not a goal, it is an
activity. Now you could pursue the learning aspect by many means,
one of which would be enrolling in college and taking courses which
might eventually lead to a PhD - BUT, the PhD is only incidental to
the activity. It is not the activity itself.
Also, what I think Buddha and Jesus both said were more along the
lines of living in the present. Using the example above, if you are
going to class every day and studying every night - then you should
pour yourself TOTALLY into each activity you are doing IN THE
PRESENT. You should wake up welcoming the new day, do your morning
exercises as best you can, take your shower and dry off with all
your awareness, fix and eat your breakfast with reverence and
thanks, drive to class focusing all your attention on the drive,
attend class while focusing all your attention on the teacher's
instructions, etc... You should NOT wake up and rush through your
morning resenting the interruption of your sleep, shower quickly
and eat your breakfast in a rush while trying to catch the first 15
mins of CNN, drive to class while thinking about your upcoming test
or the cute girl/guy who sits next to you in class, fidget through
your class hoping it will end quickly so you and the cute guy/girl
sitting next to you could go to the beach or park.
This is what I mean by living in the present, not dwelling on the
past or dreaming about the future.
...Bill!
