【The Meditation Session – what to do in between sessions 】- restraining the sensory faculties – with which you retrain – practice mindfulness continuously and with respect

So some people describe it as “chasing a goat up a tree.” Goats can’t climb trees like cats can. However, what seems impossible can be accomplished!

Actually, besides Buddha Dharma, the worldly ways are the same. Therefore, I have mentioned to you all before, the so-called American great entrepreneurs of the steel industry and the automobile industry, how did they succeed? They all relied on this spirit [of joyous perseverance]. For those things considered impossible by others, [those entrepreneurs] continued with great determination and clenched their teeth. Now, even before we start, we already beat the drum of retreat. Moreover, we find all kinds of excuses to protect the self – alas, this is not right and that is wrong. We focus on all sorts of narrow-minded ideas; this shows the mind is still pretty smart! However, these wits are muddled, one has used them wrong. So he will come up with all sorts of reasons to make himself become the fish that escaped the net. Ah, you think that you can get away with it! [You] do not recognize that this is actually harming one self. This is an absolute fact, true reality!

SOURCE 来源 :

25A 26’22” Vol 4 of Master Jih-Chang’s Discourse P16 LL5
English Lamrim Vol 1 P101

日常师父法语📡25A 26’22”手抄稿第4册P16 LL5

修持轨理 - 未修中间 : 密护根门-以何防护者-于正念起常委行

所以又有人形容它，说这是叫“赶羊上树”，这羊不能爬树的，猫才能爬树，但是呢他却偏偏做这种事情，就把做不到的事情做到了！

实际上何况是佛法，世法也是如此的。所以我前面曾经给大家说过，那个美国的几个什么大王，钢铁大王，汽车大王，他们怎么成功的？都是靠这个精神，别人觉得不行的，他就是绝对坚强的意志，咬紧牙关。现在我们事情还没有做啊，已经打了退堂鼓了，然后找种种借口，要保护自己：喔唷，这个地方不对，那个地方不对。找了很多这种小心儿的事情，脑筋还很聪明欸！他那个聪明都用糊涂，用错掉了。所以他就会想到种种理由啊，使得自己做漏网之鱼。 啊，以为觉得这地方摸鱼了！孰不知这个真正是害了自己，这是千真万确的事实，千真万确的事实！