Endeavor

In the 16th Canto of Ashvaghosha's Handsome Nanda, we are brought into an Explanation of the Noble Truths and what I found so important is the encouragement that goes along with endeavor. Keeping the Buddha's Dharma right there before our eyes:

"Set dharma before your eyes, which is peaceful and benign, with no passion for desire, a resting place, a cessation, an eternal, irremovable, and noble protection, in which there is no birth, no old age, no death, no sickness, no association with anything unpleasant, no failure of wishes and no separation from anything pleasant; it is an ultimate, unfallen state of ease." 16.26

"Just as a substance may be pungent in flavor yet when eaten ripe may proved to be sweet, so an endeavor may be hard in its execution, but when it ripens through the accomplishment of its aims, prove to be sweet. Endeavor is paramount, for it is the foundation of doing what needs to be done, and without endeavor there would be no accomplishment at all. All success in the world arises from endeavor, and if there were no endeavor evil would be complete." 16.93-4

The past week has really shown me how important it is to carry through with this endeavor to train every day. Just going slack a little bit, can lead one off the path very quickly and I noticed how fast I could become lost. But looking up, the Buddha is always there, in this past week this was very much before my eyes in the love and support I received from so many around me.