Building Around Dhamma

Dhamma has become the foundation stone of my life but I’ve had little clarity regarding how to build a life around dhamma. It took several years to understand where I naturally fall on the path. I’ve always tried to figure out how to maximize what’s important to me so it would cross my mind that to maximize dhamma I would need to be a monk. The simple reality is, I’m not ready for that type of commitment and lifestyle. Sitting two hours a day is important to me, and I’ve definitely given up many activities that were part of my old lifestyle, but living connected to the world, my family, and my friends needs to be a part of my daily life.

For some time, my life beyond dhamma has been on hold because I wanted to leave enough space and time to maximize my growth in dhamma. Recently, I had the epiphany that I needed to devote two months a year to sitting and serving to maximize my growth, and while this seems like a lot, this realization has allowed me to focus on how I want to engage the world the other 10 months out of the year.

For me, touching the deep parts of my mind through sitting courses is critical for my growth, but so is learning how to engage the world as a wholesome person. I don’t want to hide from the people and problems of our world. I want to help. The only way to figure out how to help is to try different things and practice. Dhamma will still be the foundation stone of my life, but learning how to build a householders life around it is a new challenge. Time to meditate.