“And how, monks, does a person, with the breakup of the body, attain Nibbāna through volitional exertion? Here, a monk dwells contemplating the unattractiveness of the body … and the perception of death is well established within him. He dwells relying upon these five powers of a trainee: the powers of faith … and wisdom.”
– Anguttara Nikāya
Some seeds sprout quickly.
Some lie quietly in the ground.
Even when nothing is seen,
the roots are still growing.
The Buddha spoke of one who practices with effort,
yet does not come to the end in this very life.
“With the breakup of the body, a person attains Nibbāna through volitional exertion.”
— Anguttara Nikāya
The work is steady.
Careful.
Unshaken.
Seeing the body as it is—
not something to cling to.
Remembering death—
not as fear,
but as clarity.
The five faculties are there:
faith, energy, mindfulness, collectedness, wisdom.
Not perfect.
But enough to continue.
A sage would bring it close:
You don’t practice to finish quickly.
You practice to stop going in the wrong direction.
Even if the journey is not completed here,
the path has already been laid down.
Nothing is lost.
Like planting a tree—
you may not sit in its shade,
but the roots have taken hold.
So the question is not:
Will I reach the end today?
But simply:
Am I walking steadily, without turning back?
Because a path walked with sincerity
does not disappear.