As you may have noticed, in the past few weeks, we have been talking about the 5 Paramitas or transcendent virtues. These are the activities, that should we engage in the all the time, would lead to indestructible happiness.
The first four are sort about actions we could take, but the last two are about the way we hold our minds.
To review briefly:
The first paramita is generosity and has to do with letting down your guard and allowing this world to touch you—there is nothing more generous you could offer than yourself, which begins with opening up in this way.
The second paramita is discipline and here what discipline means is the willingness and ability to come back.
The third paramita is patience, which automatically arises when we have no expectations and
The fourth paramita, exertion, is about connecting over and over with your innate vitality.
The paramitas up to this point fit together beautifully. It all begins with generosity, which softens us. But generosity without discipline is a kind of sentimentalism. Discipline without patience could become aggression. Patience without exertion could become a bit aimless.
The final two paramitas, mindfulness and wisdom, refer, to me, to the cradle in which all of this activity takes place. Mindfulness and wisdom are like the earth and the sky on and under which the first four paramitas live.
Mindfulness, the fifth paramita, could be defined as the ability to bring the mind of sitting meditation—the mind that is open, flexible, and brave—to every single moment of your life. With this paramita, you become a meditator in your life, not just on the cusion.
Wisdom refers to the ability to stabilize your mind in a state of openness. I can’t really say more about it than that because I don’t really understand it. All I know is that it arises naturally when I let go of fixity and the more conventional forms of “knowing.” It is there already, right now. It belongs to me. It belongs to you. It is our home. Our meditation practice serves, perhaps above all, to remind and reconnect us to the truth of absolute wisdom.
I’m a M.S. student.My rigorous curriculum demands that i keep myself disciplined, the challenging nature of the course requires me to be patient. I also, like helping others and balancing all of these activities is a challenge in itself of sorts. i liked your concept of exertion, connecting with your inner vitality, because it helps me remember who i am and why am i doing all this(because i want to
). The 5 and 6th virtues are tools and source to all the above four as you seem to have pointed out. I think, if i am, aware of them at all times and practice them when need arises i can live a peaceful life of indestructible happiness. Thanx for the amazing thought, It really helped clear my head. 
So glad to hear it! With love, Susan
Thank you for all you are doing.
You are so welcome. xo S