Without vows and aspirations one can quite easily become lax. You may think all day long, "I should practice more diligently." But as the time draws near, physical discomfort, headache, or fatigue may cause you to fall prey to laziness. "I feel tired and I really need to rest. As soon as I feel better, I'll practice very hard." Attitudes like these come from laziness. We can give ourselves all kinds of excuses for not practicing.

Once there was a lazy student who never studied. He made excuses throughout the year. In the spring it was a nuisance to study when the weather was beautiful outside. During the summer it was too hot to stay in the home and study. In the autumn he wanted to go out and enjoy the cool breezes. When the winter arrived as the end of the year approached, he figured he might as well wait till the next school year to study.

There is a Chinese poem that summarizes this attitude succinctly: Springtime me is not meant for studying. The heat of summer is good for sleeping. Fall slips away, and winter arrives, Time for spring-cleaning to prepare for the new year.

Diligence is pivotal for a practitioner who has generated the bodhi-mind of benefiting others. The Thirty-Seven Aids to Enlightenment include the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, for which diligence in practice is essential. The Thirty-Seven Aids also include the Four Proper Exertions: to avoid unwholesome acts not yet committed, to cease unwholesome acts already committed, to engage in wholesome acts not yet done, and to continue wholesome acts already started.