## V. On the Bodhi Path ### Meditation and the Refuge Daily Practice Q: I am studying in the Tongxi Class and encountered meditation at the retreat. How does this relate to our usual refuge daily practice? Can the two be combined? A: The focus of the refuge daily practice is to strengthen faith in the Three Jewels. It includes *settling the mind*, which is itself a form of meditation. We may take a Buddha image or the Buddha's name as our object of focus, rest there, and train concentration; or we may directly observe what the nature of mind is, thereby developing contemplative insight. The meditation experience in the retreat uses *vipassana*, but for many people, because afflictions run deep and habitual patterns are strong, if they practice vipassana alone, it is often like the tree wishing stillness while the wind keeps blowing. When the mind cannot settle, it is hard to gain strength. The analytical meditation and settling meditation in the refuge daily practice help us recognize the suffering of samsara and give rise to renunciation, so we are not easily swayed by external conditions or provoked into unwholesome states, creating a pure mental atmosphere for practicing vipassana. In turn, the focus and awareness cultivated by vipassana help us abide in the refuge practice. The two complement and reinforce each other. ### Think of It, Then Do It Q: I accept the Dharma, yet my mind is possessed by demonic forces and I cannot overcome lustful thoughts. I lack the courage to be sincere, earnest, and honest. How can I absorb the Dharma more quickly, instead of being controlled as I am now? A: Being able to see your shortcomings, your inner desires, and your demonic side means you have already begun to develop a little right mindfulness. Otherwise you would have no ability to see the problem, let alone remedy it. The greed, hatred, and delusion accumulated since beginningless time are very powerful. To free yourself from the three poisons, you must sincerely, earnestly, and honestly apply the learning method and master the content of study. It is like knowing you are sick and having the prescription—the key is to take the medicine seriously. As for how to change more quickly, if the method is correct, it depends on how much effort you put in and how great your resolve to change is. Some people feel urgent but do not act urgently; that is useless. Afflictions are like "three feet of ice, not formed in a single day"—do not think you can resolve them completely at once. But do not be discouraged either; each time you counter them, there is some effect; if you counter them at every moment, the afflictions have no chance to manifest. ### Consider Your Capacity Q: I like Chan; can I practice it directly? Or should I join the Three-Stage Practice first? A: Many people like Chan, especially sudden awakening, because it seems to solve everything at once. This suits the Chinese preference for simplicity and the modern taste for fast food. The question is, can sudden awakening actually awaken you? What capital do you have? Chan is designed for those of sharp and keen faculties; "sharp faculties" means the dust obscuring the mind is extremely thin. Just as sunlight passes through easily when the clouds are thin, even then it requires a clear-eyed wise teacher to guide you. If your faculties are insufficient, even a wise teacher cannot lift you up. Later generations of Chan students, because their obstacles were deep and wisdom shallow and they had no guide, ended up with mere "lip-service Chan," or even used it as an excuse to be lazy—only deceiving themselves. The Three-Stage Practice we promote begins with the core elements and sequence of the Dharma. This is the common foundation of Buddhist practice, suitable for all faculties and compatible with every approach. Established on this foundation, once you have built up the basics, you will be able to reach Chan in the future. ### The Standard for Measuring Practice Q: For lay practitioners, what standard should we use to measure whether we are practicing well? I once saw that after someone passed away, *śarīra* relics appeared in the cremation. Is that the standard for measuring practice? A: How can you tell whether you are practicing well? Using relics to check seems a little too late. Others measure it by whether one can be reborn in the Western Pure Land, but that too is hard to convince everyone. Does this mean practice is an unknowable mysticism? In fact, as long as one practices according to the Dharma, the effects can be seen directly in this present life. Life is dependently originated; within it are negative and positive forces. Practice is the process of abandoning evil and cultivating good, transforming the defiled into the pure. If the method is appropriate, we will certainly feel afflictions decreasing within the mind and wisdom and compassion growing. Many students of the Three-Stage Practice, through practice, have indeed seen changes in their views, attitudes, and ways of dealing with people and situations, and have seen changes in family and work relationships. Family, friends, and colleagues also see these changes. Therefore, effective practice will certainly bring growth in life—something both oneself and those around us can witness. If it cannot be tested and you yourself do not know whether it is right or good, clearly there is a problem. ### Is Rebirth in the Pure Land the Only Way? Q: Laypeople cannot attain arhatship. If one wishes to attain liberation in this life, is rebirth in the Pure Land the only path? Should practice be "to see the Buddhas of the ten directions," or "to leisurely observe the single mind"? A: From the perspective of the shravaka vehicle, lay practitioners can attain the third fruit, which is already a high attainment. From the perspective of the bodhisattva vehicle, many great bodhisattvas appear in lay form—for example, Maitreya Bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, and Manjushri Bodhisattva, whom we all know; among the fifty-three wise teachers visited by Sudhana in his pilgrimage, many were also lay practitioners. Of course, if you are not confident of attaining liberation in this life, reciting the Buddha's name and seeking rebirth in the Pure Land is the safer choice, and it is the path taken by many patriarchs and great masters. As for the second question, it should be decided according to each person's actual circumstances. If you have the ability to leisurely observe the single mind, you may directly observe the mind. If the mind is scattered and unable to observe, you can focus the mind on the Buddha's name through recitation. Relatively speaking, reciting the Buddha's name is easier than observing the mind. Moreover, recitation and observing the mind can also be unified, and this kind of recitation is more effective. ### Relying on a Teacher and Studying Broadly Q: If I request the Dharma from a wise teacher, does that create a relationship of reliance? May I also study the Dharma taught by other teachers? A: Merely requesting the Dharma does not yet constitute a relationship of reliance. If we wish to rely on a wise teacher, we must first understand his virtue and learning. Many scriptures and treatises list standards, such as the ten qualities of a qualified teacher in the *Lamrim* (Stages of the Path). In short, we must judge according to the Dharma, not according to our own feelings. Once you determine that he is a qualified wise teacher, make the aspiration to rely on him for study, and he is willing to accept you—only then can the relationship of teacher and student be established. After it is established, you yourself must also possess the marks of a disciple and have the aspiration to learn, in order to benefit from such reliance. If later you wish to study other approaches, it is best to consult your teacher. Of course, this presupposes that the one you rely on is a true wise teacher who knows your situation and has the ability to judge your choices and guide you. ### How to Put the Dharma into Practice in Daily Life Q: For lay practitioners, how can we put the Dharma into practice in daily life and apply prajna contemplation? A: The Dharma is the wisdom of life. On one hand, it helps us correctly understand the world and thoroughly perceive the truth of life; on the other hand, it helps us free ourselves from confusion, establish wholesome views, and establish actions corresponding to liberation. Therefore, true practice must be tempered in daily life. Especially for lay practitioners, if you can bring bodhicitta and prajna contemplation into life, every place becomes a place of practice, allowing you to refine the mind through circumstances and grind away habitual patterns. As for applying prajna contemplation, you must first obtain the right view of prajna. The "prajna contemplation of the Heart Sutra" spoken of these past two days is precisely what helps us regard the world from the perspective of dependent origination, recognizing that all things are dependently arisen appearances and that their essence is empty of self-nature. Once we have established this understanding, we must use the Heart Sutra's formula "form is not other than emptiness, emptiness is not other than form; form is emptiness, emptiness is form" to observe every phenomenon. The process of applying this formula is the practice of prajna contemplation. On this basis, one can gradually enter ultimate prajna. Therefore, the key is to establish and apply the right view of emptiness; without establishing the right view of emptiness, the contemplative practice of prajna approaches naturally cannot be discussed. ### Which Status Is Suitable for Practice? Q: In the present age, monastics also seem to have a hard life. Which way of life is truly suitable for cultivating the path? A: From the perspective of the Buddha's establishment of the monastic system, of course going forth is more conducive to practice. Especially in the early stages of practice, relying on one's own strength alone, it is difficult to escape worldly temptations and to escape inner desires, emotions, and afflictions. For this one needs a wise teacher for protection and a pure environment as supporting conditions. Going forth carries few worldly burdens and has no complicated human relationships; relatively speaking, it is simpler. But nowadays, influenced by economic tides, there are not many temples that truly provide a suitable environment for cultivating the path. Why is it said that today is the Dharma-ending age? Because there are too many temptations and the environment is too perilous; practitioners can hardly find a place to apply themselves. In the past, a single temple wall separated the temple from the dust of the world. Today, in the midst of the rolling red dust, everywhere there are networks and televisions that walls cannot block; we must rely on an inner wall to withstand them. Therefore, in today's world, whichever way one practices is difficult. So many people in the world struggle bitterly within desire. Only by truly recognizing that the essence of samsara is suffering can one give rise to intense renunciation. This renunciation is not disgust; it arises because you have thoroughly seen through the nature of the world. Although you may still do many things, they are only for the sake of survival and for the sake of benefiting others. Such activity is not likely to disturb us. Otherwise, you will still be full of expectations for samsara, and even changing the environment will be useless, because the environment can only provide temporary assistance. For lay practitioners, the key is to thoroughly understand the nature of samsara, take the Three Jewels as the ultimate refuge, thereby give rise to renunciation, and further elevate it to bodhicitta. If you can live with this mental conduct, you can practice equally well as a layperson. As the *Vimalakirti Sutra* says, "If you arouse the mind of anuttara-samyak-sambodhi, that is going forth, that is complete fulfillment." Of course, if there are the conditions to go forth, a superior place of practice, and the guidance of a wise teacher, monastic life does afford more time for practice and for propagating the Dharma and benefiting sentient beings.