Tales of a Moderate Ascetic

My life is fairly simple.

I'm unemployed, so my schedule is leisurely. I don't have any family or social commitments. I lack a car at the moment and take public transportation. I rent a room from a friend and don't have much outside of books and clothing. My material possessions are few.

I had a discussion with a friend about my state of unemployment and the behaviors of successful people. He said we all manifest our reality from the mind. The successful people seem to have a knack for deciding on what they want and applying conscious effort in that direction to make that dream a reality. He said that I have to decide on a goal and focus your energy there.

I said that I had made a decision: I chose enlightenment.

Then he said, "Maybe, that's what your manifesting."

This made sense. There's been a shift in my thinking. There's always a Dharma topic simmering in the back of my mind. I could be thinking about the qualities of Padmasambhava or Yeshe Tsogyal, a sutra that came to mind, Vajrasattva long mantra recitations, dreams of building stupas, wrathful deities like Yamantaka or Hayagriva, dancing Green Tara, etc.

TV holds no interest. There were points in my life where the quiet hum of the television was a comforting thing. Now, its more of a bother. Movies no longer captivate me like they once did. I actually prefer sitting in the backyard listening to the sounds of the city or listening to music.