THERE IS JUST ONE MORE AGREEMENT, BUT IT’S THE one that allows
the other three to become deeply ingrained habits. The fourth agreement is
about the action of the first three: Always do your best.
Under any circumstance, always do your best, no more and no less. But keep
in mind that your best is never going to be the same from one moment to the
next. Everything is alive and changing all the time, so your best will sometimes
be high quality, and other times it will not be as good. When you wake up
refreshed and energized in the morning, your best will be better than when you
are tired at night. Your best will be different when you are healthy as opposed
to sick, or sober as opposed to drunk. Your best will depend on whether you
are feeling wonderful and happy, or upset, angry, or jealous.
In your everyday moods your best can change from one moment to another,
from one hour to the next, from one day to another. Your best will also change
over time. As you build the habit of the four new agreements, your best will
become better than it used to be.
Regardless of the quality, keep doing your best — no more and no less than
your best. If you try too hard to do more than your best, you will spend more
energy than is needed and in the end your best will not be enough. When you
overdo, you deplete your body and go against yourself, and it will take you
longer to accomplish your goal. But if you do less than your best, you subject
yourself to frustrations, self-judgment, guilt, and regrets.
Just do your best — in any circumstance in your life. It doesn’t matter if you
are sick or tired, if you always do your best there is no way you can judge
yourself. And if you don’t judge yourself there is no way you are going to suffer
from guilt, blame, and self-punishment. By always doing your best, you will
break a big spell that you have been under.
There was a man who wanted to transcend his suffering so he went to a
Buddhist temple to find a Master to help him. He went to the Master and asked,
“Master, if I meditate four hours a day, how long will it take me to transcend?”
The Master looked at him and said, “If you meditate four hours a day,
perhaps you will transcend in ten years.”
Thinking he could do better, the man then said, “Oh, Master, what if I
meditated eight hours a day, how long will it take me to transcend?”
The Master looked at him and said, “If you meditate eight hours a day,
perhaps you will transcend in twenty years.”
“But why will it take me longer if I meditate more?” the man asked.
The Master replied, “You are not here to sacrifice your joy or your life. You
are here to live, to be happy, and to love. If you can do your best in two hours
of meditation, but you spend eight hours instead, you will only grow tired, miss
the point, and you won’t enjoy your life. Do your best, and perhaps you will
learn that no matter how long you meditate, you can live, love, and be happy.”
THERE IS JUST ONE MORE AGREEMENT, BUT IT’S THE one that allowsthe other three to become deeply ingrained habits. The fourth agreement isabout the action of the first three: Always do your best.Under any circumstance, always do your best, no more and no less. But keepin mind that your best is never going to be the same from one moment to thenext. Everything is alive and changing all the time, so your best will sometimesbe high quality, and other times it will not be as good. When you wake uprefreshed and energized in the morning, your best will be better than when youare tired at night. Your best will be different when you are healthy as opposedto sick, or sober as opposed to drunk. Your best will depend on whether youare feeling wonderful and happy, or upset, angry, or jealous.In your everyday moods your best can change from one moment to another,from one hour to the next, from one day to another. Your best will also changeover time. As you build the habit of the four new agreements, your best willbecome better than it used to be.Regardless of the quality, keep doing your best — no more and no less thanyour best. If you try too hard to do more than your best, you will spend moreenergy than is needed and in the end your best will not be enough. When youoverdo, you deplete your body and go against yourself, and it will take youlonger to accomplish your goal. But if you do less than your best, you subjectyourself to frustrations, self-judgment, guilt, and regrets.Just do your best — in any circumstance in your life. It doesn’t matter if youare sick or tired, if you always do your best there is no way you can judgeyourself. And if you don’t judge yourself there is no way you are going to sufferfrom guilt, blame, and self-punishment. By always doing your best, you willbreak a big spell that you have been under.There was a man who wanted to transcend his suffering so he went to aBuddhist temple to find a Master to help him. He went to the Master and asked,“Master, if I meditate four hours a day, how long will it take me to transcend?”The Master looked at him and said, “If you meditate four hours a day,perhaps you will transcend in ten years.”Thinking he could do better, the man then said, “Oh, Master, what if Imeditated eight hours a day, how long will it take me to transcend?”The Master looked at him and said, “If you meditate eight hours a day,perhaps you will transcend in twenty years.”“But why will it take me longer if I meditate more?” the man asked.The Master replied, “You are not here to sacrifice your joy or your life. Youare here to live, to be happy, and to love. If you can do your best in two hoursof meditation, but you spend eight hours instead, you will only grow tired, missthe point, and you won’t enjoy your life. Do your best, and perhaps you willlearn that no matter how long you meditate, you can live, love, and be happy.”
การแปล กรุณารอสักครู่..