In the fifth talk in this series of ten talks on the paramitas or perfections, Zuisei speaks about our relationship to diligence or discipline and its place in and importance for the path.

Instead of seeing discipline as doing what we have to do because it’s ‘good for us,’ we can think about it as the exercise of self power—as wanting to do what we have to do. This means aligning our actions with a deep desire and a carefully thought-out intent. Diligence is not a vague sense of responsibility or actions that come out of our fear of consequences, but the practice of being in harmony with ourselves and our environment.