Practising to make perfect

I have decided I should follow the discipline of writing a new post every night. To a novice like me, this seems a fairly hefty challenge to give oneself, equivalent to perhaps becoming a concert painist or a Michelin-starred chef without any of the useful years of training beforehand.

Consequently, I have been quietly muttering out loud along the lines of "how I can possibly produce anything remotely wise and worthwhile quite so often?"

But that's not the point I guess. Starting to practice Buddhism properly, I'm going to have to get to grips with the daily basics. This means grappling personfully with the routine of accepting the concepts, doing the chanting, and swotting up on the theory. That's a tall order too - especially when it comes to finding that all-important time and energy to chant every single morning and every single evening.

So I'm hoping the two practises will work neatly together. In theory anyway. I'm relying on my gym bunny experiences to lead the way. Yes there is method in my madness, as I've trained up to being a tight-buttocked, calf-honed little pounder. I've assiduously been going to my local gym every other day to trot on the treadmill(I can't quite seem to work out every day for some bizzare reason though. Well I do roughly know why, and it's all to do with working and free time).

I'm proud to boast I've gone from being a non-runner 2 years ago, to being a very competent 10k runner, clocking up a jolly hour or so on the treadmill. And I can happily spout on about pb's (personal bests), stretching, sore nipples and carbo-loading if required. It's been an easy progression up the running Ks, with surprisingly little fall-out beyond a pesky hip flexor injury and a period of losing toe nails. Apparently this is only to be expected.

Each bi-daily stint on the treadmill has been a different experience for the mind and body. Some days I've itched to sprint and hit the endorphin zone; others I've had to force heavy legs to get beyond a short slog. But I've always finished feeling undeniably healthier and happier. This will be exactly my mindset for practising Buddhism and for posting. I am forcing a new routine of chanting and writing onto my life, knowing it should slowly and surely move me forward.

Luckily training to be a Buddhist can be performed outside of the gym. The daily routine of accepting, practising and studying has been neatly summed up for me to share with you. It is "the recipe for developing our innate enlightened condition, or Buddhahood. All three are essential. The recipe is universal. These basics are the same in every country where this Buddhism is practiced."

Wish me luck. I fear it might be tough at first. What with all the spiritual huffing and buffing to get used to...