My gardening clothes are ratty old things. The sweatpants i'm wearing right now are pulling apart at the back seam, revealing my underwear. I ripped the turtle off my 1975 light blue turtleneck, and over it, i wear a paint-spattered purple long-underwear shirt from the thrift store. I've ripped the hole-y cuff off of one sleeve.
By putting on gardening clothes, i set an intention: I am going out to the garden this morning.
How about setting our spiritual intentions?
- I get up early so i can meditate.
- I'm registering for a retreat.
- I take the 5 precepts* this morning to remind me to live ethically today.
We set intentions as guards against the temptation to slack off. Because, in the moment, we actually believe our minds when it says, "Oh, it doesn't matter..." if i miss meditation, if i tell a white lie, if i cheat a little bit on my taxes.
Let's don our intentions in the calm of a clear-sighted morning, before the fog of busy-ness sets in.
I'm wearing gardening clothes. I'm going out to the garden this morning.
* The 5 precepts are:
Today i intend to:
- do no harm to anyone
- take nothing that is not freely given
- speak truthfully and helpfully
- use my sexual energy wisely
- and keep my mind clear.
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