Rivers form their course
by means of a process of repeated erosion. As rain falls on a
hillside, that rain gathers into a rivulet. That rivulet gradually
creates a channel for itself, and gradually grows into a stream.
Eventually, as the channel of the stream is deepened and widened by
repeated flows of water, the stream becomes a river which develops
well-defined banks and a definite course.
In the same way, our
actions become habitual. These habits become part of our personality
and we take these habits with us from life to life in the form of
mental formation or habit energy.
This is otherwise
illustrated as “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Your words
become actions. Your actions become habit. Your habits become your
character. And your character becomes your destiny.”
Our actions in this life
are conditioned by the habits which we have formulated in our past
during this life, and possibly over the course of previous lives.
This is what practice is
about.
Et oui...
