Vigilance
Vigilance: A brief essay
By Alberto Anzan Apalategui
"Vigilance is the path to the Deathless; negligence the path to death.” These are the first two lines in the chapter, “Vigilance,” in The Dhammapada. For those who do not know, The Dhammapada is a famously known compilation of teachings by the Buddha in verse form.
In the previously mentioned quote, the Buddha is warning people against the dangers of being lazy yet reminds them of the capacity for true living. By being diligent, awake, and disciplined, people can live their lives to their highest potential. According to the Buddha, for one seeking spiritual awakening, one should be vigilant to the pull of negligent, lazy behavior and work at being energetic and disciplined.
Everyone can be lethargic and neglect important matters. However, in stanza seven, the Buddha states, “don’t give yourself to negligence/don’t devote yourself to sensual pleasure …” Making this twenty-five-hundred-year-old wisdom relevant today, the Buddha is persuading us not to waste time being sucked into things that are pleasurable. Things like pornography, food, television, sex, drugs, phones, and even lounging for long periods of time are pleasures that can consume our very being. And they are powerful. They are so powerful that one can establish addictions towards these sorts of pleasures. In my experience, my phone is a pleasure that can easily suck me into doing nothing for long periods of time. Being consumed by social media, or simply staring at my phone, jumping from app to app, I can drain my energy and make my mind dull. It has happened to me several times. In all, if we are negligent and devote ourselves to sensual pleasures, we will remain unconscious to the marvels of life - we will remain asleep to the phenomena that occurs in our everyday lives moment by moment.
If someone sets out to realize spiritual awakening, that person must understand that spiritual awakening is going to take effort. The Buddha ascertained that all beings have buddha nature. In Zen, we say once we sit zazen, Zen form of meditation, we have realized our buddha nature. However, awakening takes time and endeavor. My teacher, Jose Shinzan Palma, often says, “whatever you give to your practice is what you are going to receive in return. If you give 10%, you will get 10%. If you give 100%, you will get 100%.” Basically, your payoff is the result of the effort you give to your practice. Because of zazen and its power to create awareness, I have recognized the silent pull that encourages lethargic behavior, negligence, and prolonged stagnant comfort. Moreover, the last two lines in stanza seven finish by saying, “vigilant and absorbed in meditation/one attains abundant happiness.” By dedicating time and energy to sit, and by being vigilant of habitual pleasures, one can achieve a place of centered balance. It takes effort to realize awakening. But if we apply ourselves, the benefits will permeate into our everyday lives, resulting in ease and joy.
In short, zazen is what cultivates wider awareness and permits vigilance. As one continues to sit, over time, pleasure seeking habits will gradually lose strength. This is because we begin to see behind the smoke and mirrors. When we see the sandbags and pulleys that advise our behaviors, we become curious about doing something different. Upon gradually opening our eyes and letting the glimmering light in, the conditioned habits begin to lose luster. We see clearer. This is the advancement provided by zazen. However, these habits may never be completely abolished, we can at least start moving through the world unhindered by them. To conclude, this sort of power requires energy and diligence. For those seeking spiritual awakening, they must understand that effort is essential, and if evidence is necessary, refer to the commitment Siddhartah Gotama made to realize his buddha nature.
