“And how, monks, does a person, in this very life, attain Nibbana through volitional exertion? Here, a monk dwells contemplating the unattractiveness of the body, perceiving repulsiveness in food, perceiving discontent with the entire world, contemplating impermanence in all formations; and the perception of death is well established within him.”
– Anguttara Nikāya
Some wood burns easily.
Some needs time to catch.
The Buddha spoke of one
who reaches the end in this very life—
through effort.
“In this very life, a person attains Nibbāna through volitional exertion.”
— Anguttara Nikāya
The mind does not settle on its own.
So he trains it.
Again and again—
bringing it back,
steadying it,
clarifying it.
A sage would say:
If the mind wanders,
know that it wanders—
then bring it back.
This is the work.
Not harsh.
Not forceful.
But continuous.
When the mind moves away,
do you follow it—
or do you gently return?
A small flame,
carefully tended,
becomes steady.