Readers who have studied the suttas with me will know that I often ask students to memorize passages from the texts. By selecting a passage that resonates with us, working with it, reciting it daily, and reflecting upon it, we engage more actively with these teachings. Then we enjoy hearing what each person set to memory when we gather each month and begin the meeting with our recitations. Although I usually suggest working with just a few words or sentences, last week one student memorized a full discourse. It was inspiring! So rarely do we actually challenge our minds.
I have accepted the challenge to do the same this month, if not a whole discourse, at least multiple consecutive paragraphs. I invite you to do the same. It is not as difficult as it may at first appear. There is an internal logic to the structure of most discourses. When you find the logic, and connect with the rythm of the verse, memorization may flow much more easily than you might imagine.