I believe that there is a lot to be gained from this. Happy reading. Suzanne
Courage: Strength of Heart ~ An excerpt from ONE DHARMA by Joseph Goldstein
"The Pali word viriya is usually translated "effort," and it is considered the root of all achievement. But in our Western culture we can sometimes get out of balance by making too much effort. We may confuse viriya with ambitions striving or expectation; right effort then becomes overexertion, a straining quality of the mind. The Buddha pointed to this imbalance when the Buddha used the example of tuning the strings of a lute. A monk had been doing walking meditation with so much effort that his mind was becoming unsettled and agitated. The Buddha, knowing this monk had been a skilled musician earlier in his life, asked him what happened when the strings on his lute were too tight. the monk replied that the instrument was out of tune. Then the Buddha asked him about the string being too loose, and he was given the same reply. In just the same way, the Buddha said, your effort "when overstrung, ends in agitation, when over lax, ends in sloth." The quality of our energy must be neither too tight nor too loose; then it can become the root of all achievement."
A less common translation of viriya, but one that highlights its essence for us in another way, is "courage." "Courage" comes from the root word for "heart" being the seat of feeling and thought. It connotes spirit, vital force, and energy. It is the boldness and valor of mind that faces obstacles without shrinking from them. In the Pali texts, viriya is often used in opposition to sloth and torpor ( laziness), that mind state commonly thought of as sleepiness, but that more deeply signifies retreating or withdrawing from difficulty. In this context too " courage" is an apt translation."
Suzanne: What does this have to do with cello playing? Just about everything. Mastery is a lot about balance. The balance of many inner and outer things. It is also you persevering and continuing. Simply put, not giving up. That's what you and I in cellochan are working on, in part. Being a keen observer of your playing in every moment, which for our purposes includes keen listening, is essential to finding this balance. When we do, the music flows, our fingers dance, the heart soars, and the mind is at ease.
Practice in this way. See you in your next lesson!
