Duty

"So, how can one manage to meditate for some years/months without a break? Any ideas?"

I understand the difficulties that you’ve outlined here. My own solution has been to work at part time jobs, save my earnings as much as I can, and then when I have enough saved I quit the job and just practice for several months until I run out of money. I have done this over the course of 25 years, working part time in the design industry.

I have taken several sabbaticals from work, the longest being a year and a half, the shortest being 10 months. I live alone in a little cottage without a television and telephone. My part time employment schedule means I have several days a week in which to practice meditation. And the solitude of my little cottage means that I don’t have distracting housemate issues to deal with (but then of course, if the bathroom doesn’t get cleaned, I’m the only one to blame :-).

I’m not saying that it’s been easy. Forget about buying toys, fashion, and entertainment. (I have been on food stamps once, and I know the places around town where they give food away to the indigent.) And it takes a lot of discipline. You must keep yourself physically fit by exercising regularly. You have to be very committed to practice, because there isn’t going to be anyone else there to insure that you do. And you have to continue on through countless failures, doubts, frustrations, fears and lost hopes. But, ah well, just another day on planet Earth.

Hope this gives you some encouragement,