We can easily lapse into ho-hum doldrums. Time passes but we are not really engaged as we feel tired and lack energy. In Japan they call this ‘mendokusai.’ It is something like apathy. It is important to snap ourselves out of this ‘wasting-precious-time’ state. The clock keeps ticking moving us closer to our death. To receive such a precious opportunity like we have now is not easy to get again. We must make the best use of our limited time on this planet. We are in fact mere guests here. When we die our bodies will return to the earth. Our minds will transmigrate to another life. Reflecting in this way on impermanence can help lift us out of this state of indifference. Reflecting that we are not alone in feeling apathetic also helps. Sending energy to others to awaken from the blahs helps invigorate us if nothing else. In these ways we begin to bring dharma back into our present lives. Lighting a fire within jolts us out of complacency, back into the world of love and wisdom.
