Lessons from the Dalai Franklin

"It was about this time I conceived the bold and arduous project of arriving at moral perfection. I wished to live without committing any fault at any time; I would conquer all that either natural inclination, custom, or company might lead me into. As I knew, or thought I knew, what was right and wrong, I did not see why I might not always do the one and avoid the other. But I soon found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined. While my care was employed in guarding against one fault, I was often surprised by another; habit took the advantage of inattention; inclination was sometimes too strong for reason. I concluded, at length, that the mere speculative conviction that it was our interest to be completely virtuous was not sufficient to prevent our slipping, and that the contrary habits must be broken, and good ones acquired and established, before we can have any dependence on a steady, uniform rectitude of conduct."

-Benjamin Franklin, "The Autobiography and Other Writings"

That is quite the ambitious statement. I remember when I first read that I laughed out loud. Now this is on my mind because as traverse a course of self-enrichment, I am reminded that men of greater stature than I have attempted similar feats, each enjoyed a varying degree of success. Franklin himself gave up on the idea after about a year.

He did enjoy his own measures of success and failure in his attempt and he felt himself the better man for it. Franklin as it turned out was regimented in this; he kept a journal on his efforts and in retrospect he found himself so much fuller of faults than he had previously believed. At a few points he wanted to give up but eventually he allowed himself that, "a benevolent man should allow a few faults in himself."

I contrast this with the teachings of the Dalai Lama where he discusses replacing hate, anger and frustration with patience and compassion, areas in which I am trying to improve. There are days when it seems so appealing to lash out at those from whom I've felt slighted, and then I recall there is no reason to, I've spoken my peace and I need to let it go at that. Learn my lesson, move on and find happiness in the growth of others.