Overview: I have a German language “Wisdom of the Dalai Lama” page-a-day calendar. Each day, I plan to translate the German into English, and discuss.
Juli 2: Wir sollten lernen, gelassen im Augenblick zu leben und uns von dem, was wir mögen oder ablehnen, nicht so sehr aus der Fassung bringen zu lassen.
We should learn to live in the moment, and not let that which would upset us bring us to so much discontent.
I was going to comment that I’m dissatisfied with my translation; I think I have the general intent, but I’m not entirely sure of some of the nuances. I had arched my fingers to type exactly that, and was trying to compose the specific words I was going to use as I read over the translation again.
It was at that point that I realized that my own thoughts were exemplifying the intent. Rather than admiring the fact that I had mostly worked through the translation, I was fretting that it wasn’t perfect, that somebody who knows German better than I do might come along and chastise me for the flaws.
And this, I believe, is the intent: Live in the glow of the successes of the now, and don’t worry so much.