I enjoyed the most beautiful sunrise this morning, and it occurred to me that enjoying a sunrise might be a metaphor for good living. One needs to be paying attention, or awake as some teachers are referring to the act of noticing what is going on outside oneself. The attention needs to be timely: the glory of a sunrise lasts but a few moments or minutes. If one notices too late, one misses the glory.
Isn't that true of life? Even casual interactions, like one I had yesterday in a shopping line about wanting a price check on an item, can be moments of profound connection. Sometimes it seems easier for humans to have these respectful connections with strangers, and the people with whom one lives are less likely to see the respect. That, to me, is true discipline: when I treat those with whom I live with the greatest amount of respect and love, then I am behaving as a mature human being. And, I like the definition of discipline that I read long ago: discipline comes from the word disciple, which means to teach. So, in teaching myself the value of demonstrating the most love and respect for those with whom I live, I am able to act accordingly.
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