Persevering Through Very Difficult Periods How do those who have experienced multiple, profound-negative events, and/or long periods of extreme hardship muster up the will to continue on the path, or even to try to live a morally-upright life when one feels absolutely certain that any effort towards skillful thoughts/actions is only a short-term project that will only be demolished in the near future anyway?
What I discovered only a few years ago, after 25 years of practicing Dharma...is that when things get really rough, it works best to get into absolute here-and-now mode.

Meaning, I don't think about my situation, don't compare, don't analyze, just live one step at a time, one breath at a time, do what's obviously required at the moment, and that's it.

This puts me in pure suchness. Things are such and not otherwise. There's no judgement on my side, nor longing for things to be otherwise. There's just suchness.

When you are fully in this mode, it is actually quite peaceful, despite the rough situation. Suchness is peaceful, because it is just so. There's no conflict in my attitude to it. I am just such, and I do what I do, at the moment.

It is actually a very advanced state, suchness. No need to practice anything else. To be in full peace, without inner conflict, despite the circumstances - is quite an achievement.