To Catch the Ox of Habit, We Need Resolve and Steady Effort
Once we have seen the ox, we must now go near and catch it. But a wild ox in the forest is not caught immediately just because we want it. Because it resists and tries to run away, resolve and steady effort are needed.
Our old habits are the same. Even when we think, "I should not get angry," anger still rises. Even when we think, "I should not cling," attachment returns. Because habit is strong, it cannot be tamed by a brief decision alone.
What matters is the mind that says, "I will not let it go." We must use wise methods without causing harm, yet not give up; we must catch it again and again and tame it through repetition. This is right effort.
Today, may you not lose the wild ox of your own mind. May this be a day of taming it with resolve and steady effort.
Our old habits are strong. Even when we decide not to get angry or cling, anger and attachment return. A brief decision alone cannot tame them. What matters is not giving up, using wise methods, catching the habit again and again, and taming it through steady practice.
