Once upon a time, there was a very lazy man. He was well aware of his laziness and often regretted his behavior. He constantly postponed his tasks, and even when he did work, he did so reluctantly and without enthusiasm. His family and friends were unhappy with his attitude, which made him feel even worse. Deep down, he knew that his way of living was not sustainable, and he needed to change.
One day, the lazy man remembered a wise monk he had heard about. Determined to change, he decided to visit the monk and seek his guidance. He set off on a journey to the monk’s monastery, hoping to find a solution to his problem.
When he arrived, he found the monk and said, "O Sage, please help me. I am very lazy. Because of that, I can't do any work properly. What should I do?"
The monk listened carefully and then asked, "How do you know you are lazy? What kind of boredom do you experience?
" The man replied, "I don't know, Lord. I always feel tired and empty, and I don't want to start any work. I put off all tasks; even when I have work to do, I am too tired to do it. Please tell me what to do.
" The monk smiled and said, "Laziness is created by the mind. There are two types of laziness: physical and mental. Each has its own causes. Let me explain.
"Physical laziness has three main causes. The first cause is the food and drinks we consume. Unhealthy and unnatural foods drain our energy and slow us down. Our bodies need healthy vegetables and fruits to function well. The food we eat affects our mood and behavior. To combat physical laziness, start with a diet of light and easily digestible food.
" The monk continued, "The second cause of physical laziness is your posture and movement. Proper posture when sitting, sleeping, and walking is essential. If we don't maintain proper posture, our bodies become stiff, and it becomes difficult to work. Look at the monks here; they move with awareness and maintain good posture, which keeps their energy levels high".
He then added, "The third cause of physical laziness is improper sleep. We need balanced sleep to keep our bodies active. Lack of sleep makes us lethargic. We should sleep enough to relax our body and mind, wake up early, and start the day fresh. The monks have a fixed sleep schedule, which helps them wake up energized."
The monk then shifted his focus to mental laziness. "Now, let's discuss the causes of mental laziness. The first cause is procrastination. Putting off tasks creates stress and leads to bad habits. To solve this, finish tasks as soon as possible. If there is work that can be done today, do it today, and your mind will be free."
" Second, self-doubt. We often think that if we can't do something perfectly at once, we can't do it at all. No one becomes perfect without effort. If you fail once, try again until you succeed. Believe in your abilities."
The monk continued, "Third, lack of a clear goal. If you don't have a goal, you won't feel motivated to do anything. Imagine you're in a jungle carrying valuable gems, and a robber approaches. Would you sit idly or try to escape? Of course, you would escape. Having a clear and important goal motivates you to act."
"Lastly, the company you keep. Surrounding yourself with lazy and narrow-minded people influences you negatively. Stay away from such people as much as possible."
After explaining all this, the monk fell silent. The lazy man understood everything. He realized his laziness was self-inflicted and that he could change with effort. He thanked the monk for his wisdom, and he left the monastery with a renewed sense of purpose.
So, what did we learn from this Zen story? Most of the time, we let laziness rule our lives. To overcome it, we need to understand the physical and mental causes. Physical laziness comes from poor lifestyle choices, while mental laziness stems from a lack of self-confidence, procrastination, unclear goals, and bad company.
By taking care of our bodies, believing in ourselves, surrounding ourselves with motivating people, and managing our time well, we can eliminate laziness and move towards our dreams and goals. Remember, laziness is something we create in our minds, and only we have the power to change our lives.
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