54 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
54 lines
11 KiB
Plaintext
## IV. Attitudes and Methods
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### Favorable Conditions That Encourage Diligence
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Q: At this point in my life, I have a deep appreciation of the Dharma's teachings on suffering, emptiness, and impermanence. I have been in the Three-Stage Practice program for half a year, and I tear up every time I share, knowing only the Dharma can save me. I have also aspired to serve as a volunteer, simplifying my life to free up more time for Dharma study. Yet even so, my attitude toward practice remains rather casual, always using "non-attachment" as an excuse. Why can't I throw myself into practice with real vigor?
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A: On the path of practice, even though we've seen the value of awakening, we're still surrounded by ingrained habits, and the whole of society is out there encouraging greed, hatred, and delusion. With this pressure on both sides, we have to keep fighting it and create supportive conditions for our practice. The stuck place you're in now is something many people experience. If you don't break through it, you'll be swept along by the current and lose your heart for the path.
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Regarding diligence, the Dharma spurs us on by having us reflect on the preciousness and rarity of this human life, on death and impermanence, and on the sufferings of the three lower realms. There is a piece called *Key to the Mind* that offers a sobering description of how to contemplate death; listen to it often and let the text guide your contemplation, and it will spur you on to diligent practice. In addition, you need to learn to manage your time, setting a fixed schedule for daily practice so that you don't drift through the day, carried by inertia. The Three-Stage Practice values community; having a group of fellow practitioners who encourage one another is also an important support. But the most crucial thing is effective practice that brings real benefit from the Dharma; this Dharma joy itself is an inexhaustible source of motivation. There is a saying that interest is the best teacher; the same goes for learning Buddhism---we need to keep a genuine love for the Dharma alive. As mindfulness keeps growing, you'll be able to overcome those habits.
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### Should Aspirations Be Specific?
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Q: How do we arouse the bodhicitta of aspiration? I feel that the verses for making vows are somewhat general; should I have more specific wishes? Moreover, how should I practice contemplative practice?
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A: The bodhicitta of aspiration represents the most sublime wish in human life: to attain unsurpassed bodhi and help all sentient beings be freed from the sufferings of samsara. Because it is the ultimate goal, it is naturally general. To make it workable, you can draw on the vows of Buddhas and bodhisattvas---such as Amitabha Buddha's forty-eight vows, Medicine Buddha's twelve great vows, and Samantabhadra's ten great vows---and make more specific wishes based on your own situation. Whether an aspiration has power depends on whether it is genuine. Only a wish that comes from the heart can take effect in your life and become a force that propels you forward. If it stays at the level of words, it won't produce much effect.
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Contemplative practice is what puts the Dharma into practice after we've heard and reflected on it. For example, when you reflect on the preciousness and rarity of this human life, on death and impermanence, and on the sufferings of the three lower realms, you do so by alternating analytical meditation and settling meditation. When the object of contemplation becomes clear, you can rest in it; when it fades, analyze again until it becomes clear. Through such practice, you will gain a firm, stable understanding of the Dharma you have studied. I have explained this in some detail in the *Lamrim* lecture series. If you listen carefully, you will understand how to practice.
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### True Progress Lies in Applying What You Learn
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Q: I haven't been in the Three-Stage Practice program long; I started from zero. Seeing how some fellow practitioners are so learned, having read many books and able to recite many sutras, while my own knowledge of the Dharma is limited and I can't recite sutras, I feel very anxious. What should I do?
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A: The Dharma contains many methods and scriptures, all aimed at guiding us toward awakening. No matter which path you take, the destination is the same. It is not the number of paths that matters, but whether you are on the right one. You can have a lot of knowledge and be able to recite many sutras, but does any of it actually lead to the goal? Some people have studied a great deal yet end up going around in circles between different paths, even getting lost. This is not uncommon. The Three-Stage Practice was created to address this; rooted in the essential spirit of the Dharma, it gives practitioners a clear, step-by-step path. Once you're on the path, just follow the guidance honestly; there's no need to run here and there---it's actually the most direct route. Even if you've studied other methods before, set them aside for now, follow the curriculum, and bring them together later when you're ready.
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Only by being genuine, earnest, and down-to-earth can you make steady progress. If you dabble in things or chase after all sorts of outside things, it will be hard to learn well. From this perspective, starting from zero is not a bad thing. Learning Buddhism doesn't require knowing a great deal; the key is to study the Dharma of each stage in depth, moving from understanding to acceptance, so that whatever you learn can be put to use and change you. That is true progress.
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### Reciting Sutras Requires a Foundation
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Q: How should one recite sutras? Should one keep reading the same sutra over and over?
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A: Whether you should go deeply into one sutra depends on whether that sutra suits you. Different scriptures contain different perspectives and principles of practice. But we need to understand that practice needs a foundation and a step-by-step progression; taking refuge, setting out the aspiration, and keeping precepts are essential for any method. With these foundations in place, you then choose a method to practice---whether Buddha-recitation or Chan contemplation---and only then will the results be much better. Otherwise, if from the start you simply cling to a sutra or a Buddha's name and recite it in a fog, without knowing what perspective such recitation is meant to establish, what practice it is meant to lead to, or what problem it is meant to solve, you may recite for decades without understanding anything, and the Dharma will not reach your heart. Why? Because the foundation is weak and your understanding of these scriptures and the Buddha's name is shallow. If your mind has never resonated with the Dharma, naturally your recitation won't have any strength. So, having a solid foundation and finding what suits you are both important.
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### How to Overcome Physical Obstacles in Sitting Meditation
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Q: How can I overcome problems such as numb legs when sitting in meditation? Each time I cannot sustain it beyond about forty-five minutes. How do I get past this barrier?
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A: The key to sitting meditation is using the mind well; posture is only an auxiliary means of directing the mind. Just as when we speak of the right contemplation of prajna, we need to understand dependent origination and emptiness of intrinsic nature, and use that to examine every issue. We gradually move from inferential understanding to direct perception. Direct realization is usually cultivated through sitting meditation, while at the level of inference one need not be sitting; one can direct the mind while walking, standing, sitting, or lying down.
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In the process of sitting meditation, most people will encounter leg pain. As for being unable to endure past a certain time, it may be related to physical condition or to mental expectations. In fact, at the beginning you need not sit for a long time in one session; each session can be shorter, with more sessions, so that you maintain a love for meditation rather than developing fear of it. Once you've developed the habit of meditation and feel the need to break through, you need endurance. Each time you feel you cannot continue, do not immediately leave your seat; persevere a few minutes longer. In addition, it's best to supplement with some stretching exercises. If you keep at it, you'll gradually get past this.
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### Cultivation Requires Training
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Q: How should I observe the thoughts in my own mind? How can I deepen my skill in this area?
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A: Precepts, concentration, and wisdom are the heart of Buddhist practice; precepts are the foundation of concentration and wisdom. Without the safeguard of precepts, it is hard for practice to become effective. Modern life is full and information is everywhere, so thoughts are easily carried away without our noticing. What can we do? First, we must establish a simple and orderly life through observing the precepts. When distractions decrease and the mind becomes pure, it is easy to see thoughts come and go. Second, we must develop concentration through meditation; this requires repeated training. Once the skill is familiar, the power of mindfulness will grow stronger day by day, and you'll be clearly aware of your every thought, word, and deed. Without deliberate practice, you won't develop the habit of observing thoughts, let alone keep it going steadily. The ancients, when learning a skill, emphasized that "a singer keeps a song on his lips, a boxer keeps his fists ready"; in the same way, learning Buddhism requires constantly "letting go of what's wrong and repeating what's right." Over time, you'll develop real skill.
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### Cultivating Internally and Externally to Sustain Your Practice
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Q: When we practice in the world, we face all sorts of temptations and the complications of human relationships; material life is so abundant, and greed, hatred, and delusion are always filling our minds. How can one maintain a good state of practice?
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A: The most fundamental motivation comes from benefiting from the Dharma. The reason we are tempted and disturbed is mainly that we lack right mindfulness and concentration. What we have studied still remains in books and has not been transformed into our own outlook, so when we face situations, it's still "me" at work---still greed, hatred, and delusion---not the Buddha's teaching. Only when inner confusion and afflictions lessen, wisdom and compassion grow, and we recognize the meaning and value of practice for our lives will we have an inexhaustible source of strength. This motivation comes from within life itself and is not disturbed by external conditions; it is the most stable.
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But this takes time. Before we truly benefit, we cannot do without the support of atmosphere. The Three-Stage Practice not only provides effective guidance but also places special emphasis on creating an atmosphere in which everyone supports and inspires one another. When one person slackens, others encourage and support him, help each other along, and go forward with the same aspiration. Especially in the present environment, such an atmosphere is like a small ecosystem that can effectively protect the young seedling of bodhi. Of course, this atmosphere is not ready-made; it must be created together by everyone.
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