? ——Khenpo Si Arongbo
Practice is to cultivate the spiritual qualities of benevolence, tolerance, humility, and kindness to others that bring happiness to oneself and others. In other words, we must pay attention to other people. The well-being of life, and consciously adjust one's behavior (body, speech, and mind) to make other sentient beings feel comfortable and happy. Therefore, there are two indispensable aspects of spiritual practice, one is to consider other sentient beings, and the other is to take practical actions to transform the heart for this purpose.
The joys and sorrows you have experienced are not practice, they are just experiences. If you realize impermanence, dependent origination, and cause and effect in the midst of joys and sorrows, this is spiritual practice. Being sick in itself is not a practice. Through illness, you can realize your inherent fragility and sorrow, and thus give rise to renunciation (detachment from troubles), or you can compare yourself to others, and this can give rise to compassion. This is practice.
So, life itself is not necessarily a practice, but if you can use life experience, good times, bad times, pain and joy, to consolidate your renunciation, bodhicitta, and emptiness views, This is practice. (Just like reading without thinking, just reading by rote)
All things do not exist as solidly as people think, but rely on various internal and external conditions to constantly arise and die. Therefore, it does not have inherent nature or constancy, that is, it is selfless and impermanent. Selflessness means that things do not have absolute self-nature, but it is not nihilism. The reason why things have no self is because they arise and die according to conditions.
Non-self is the most unique and profound insight of Buddhism. If you want to be truly liberated, you must realize and practice non-self. We must not only realize the selfless nature of things, reduce suffering by consciously weakening our attachment to ourselves and external objects, but also pay attention to cause and effect.
Understanding selflessness can help us dilute the idea of ??separation and realize that it is not only painful but also futile to devote all our efforts to building a fortress of the self and adhering to the differences and boundaries between others and myself. As a result, we are better able to understand and consider others, and it is easier to form harmonious relationships with the outside world. We see the fact that all things are interdependent and connected. This is bodhicitta.
I am impermanent, I am the unity of many impermanent things. Impermanence will be destroyed, so there is no self. Get rid of ego, there is no absolute existence of me, not even I exist, nothing else exists, nothing is yours. Even if it doesn’t happen, impermanence is always around us. Impermanence is the ordinary state of things. Learn to accept it and relax.
Compassion is equivalent to unbiased friendship in the heart. Cultivating compassion can also be seen as cultivating the ability to love, learning to treat all living beings and getting along with the outside world with sincerity and kindness. Indifference is often not due to a lack of ability to love, but to a lack of belief in one's ability to open one's heart.
"May all living beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering", this is compassion. The training of compassion allows us to gradually broaden our horizons and bring joy to our peace. Joy is gratitude for ourselves and rejoicing for others. Just because his heart is open enough and he can accept everything happily, what he sees often transcends people, familiarity, likes and dislikes, so he can naturally treat all sentient beings equally, tolerate everything without prejudice, and have a mind of immeasurable equanimity. Practicing immeasurable equanimity is like welcoming everyone to a banquet, and no one is turned away.
Bodhicitta is based on the four immeasurable hearts of kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. It aspires to practice Buddhism for the ultimate liberation of all sentient beings and achieve supreme enlightenment. We use generosity (giving up greed, being able to give up what we have at any time, and no longer being greedy for what we don’t have, and being mentally satisfied, this is the best generosity), observing the precepts (doing the right thing at the right time, Its purpose is not to harm all sentient beings, including oneself), patience (maintaining mindfulness, non-judgment, and openness to acceptance), diligence (reducing attachment), meditation (giving up distractions and settling in), wisdom (prajna emptiness, the inner mind is close to the extreme Open state, clarity, vastness, no stubbornness, no rigidity, no rejection, no expectations, no nostalgia. Everything is possible) and other six powerful methods to control your words and deeds to help realize your wishes.
Buddhism does not promise you security or certainty; in fact, it seeks to shatter your illusion of security.
Taking refuge in the Three Jewels shows that you are determined to face everything in life without fear, and no longer seek comfort, sustenance, or care. In addition to truly experiencing the present moment, you no longer try to find another way out. The word "Buddhist" in Tibetan means "insider", that is, someone who looks inward and finds the truth from his or her own mind rather than from outside it.
The foundation of all spiritual practice is mindfulness, which means staying close to one’s own body, speech and mind, and maintaining clear awareness at all times. There is no big goal in practice, it is just to stop deceiving oneself, not to judge, not to hope, not to avoid (neither welcome nor reject).
Buddhism talks about cause and effect and emptiness. No one’s life is a life full of leisure. The whirling world is a world that can tolerate shortcomings. The pain comes from self-attachment and Dharma attachment, that is, attachment to oneself and attachment to the things around you. Not only do we misunderstand our connection with the outside world, we also know very little about our own hearts. The most unfamiliar person in the world is "ourselves". We don't know how to treat ourselves correctly and cannot get along with ourselves in a peaceful way.
Happiness is a feeling of the heart. Our emotions are like floating clouds in the sky, changeable and easy to disperse. From a distance, one by one, it seems that people can walk and dance on it, but when we look closer, we find that there is no place to stand at all. In the sky of our mind, emotional clouds gather into clouds to form our state of mind. Cloudless, calm and calm.
You will never get what you want, because there is nothing you really want. The shortcomings and dissatisfaction that cannot be filled in your heart are not because you haven’t got them yet, but because you We are still in reincarnation, and the essence of reincarnation is suffering. A happy life begins with accepting shortcomings, accepting a less-than-perfect self, and learning to say: "I no longer need anything, I am satisfied."
Believe in cause and effect. Cause and effect are true. Everything that happens is the result of the simultaneous action of many causal relationships. From beginning to end, we are responsible for ourselves.
The protection and blessing of the Three Jewels of Buddhism, Dharma, and Sangha is not to strengthen the illusion of self and security, but to transform our hearts. No matter how we express our refuge in the Three Jewels, if our hearts continue to change because of this, Transforming in the direction of good, and continuously increasing the understanding of emptiness and bodhicitta, that is protection and blessing, because nothing can make a person's heart tougher and broader than this. Our hearts become broader, stronger, and gentler. This is the best reward we can get, and it is also the source of our own happiness.
To practice self-discipline, you must first achieve self-discipline. The first step of self-discipline is to be aware and not let yourself be immersed in unhelpful imaginations about people and things. Without self-discipline, whether it is building your own happy life or building a happy life for everyone, there will not be much effect. Optimism, contentment, and tolerance come from willpower, but also from inner softness and openness. Keep your emotions outside and do no harm.
Secondly, when practicing Buddhism, you should generate renunciation. Renunciation means no desire for enjoyment and happiness in the six paths. Instead of greed, you only want liberation. Liberation is the most important and ultimate goal in this life.
Third, after generating renunciation, you should also cultivate bodhicitta on the basis of renunciation. Bodhicitta means that when taking refuge or performing good deeds in the future, it is not only for your own liberation and happiness, but also for your own liberation and happiness. Vow to achieve Buddhahood for all sentient beings, take refuge in the Three Jewels, and practice Buddhism. Without bodhichitta, we will not become Buddhas.
The three most important conditions required to achieve Buddhahood are renunciation, bodhicitta and non-dual wisdom. Renunciation and bodhicitta are the motivations we should have when taking refuge. If we can practice with the support of renunciation and bodhicitta, then all the good roots we do will become the seeds of our Buddhahood.
Fourth, do your homework. It usually involves sitting quietly, visualizing and reciting sutras, mantras and holy names of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, etc.
Fifth, practice is just to relax yourself, no longer fight, get used to the uncertainty and live there. Some people also call this freedom.
"Don't look at practice with a mysterious eye, don't try to be extraordinary", a normal mind is the way.
Buddhism emphasizes listening, thinking and practicing simultaneously, generating and consolidating the mind of renunciation and bodhicitta, and trying to understand emptiness. While listening and thinking, we must practice the Dharma and use personal experience to confirm the teachings of the Dharma.
Be like a ferryboat that is called to and fro without getting tired of being called to you, or be like an anvil in a blacksmith's shop that is hit by hot and cold blows in turn without changing your heart.
At the beginning of our practice, our mind is like a waterfall flowing down from a high mountain, noisy and chaotic; after a while, our mind becomes like a river flowing on the plain, no longer splashing and unstoppable; and later , The heart is like the sea, it looks calm as a mirror from a distance, but when you walk closer, you will still find the undulating waves on the sea surface; finally, the heart is like a mountain, resolute, calm, and unmoving.
1. Khenpo Shiarongbo’s master said to him: “Disciple, you should open the window and look at the peaceful and vast space outside. Try to relax your body and mind, stare at the sky, and slowly open your mind. Melt into the sky and live peacefully. "Relax, let your heart connect with the outside world, and don't deliberately pursue any state or result, just live peacefully.
2. There are so many worries, sorrows and pains to keep in your heart, what a big heart you need! Then give yourself a minute, close your eyes, and imagine your heart slowly expanding. It is very soft and elastic, and slowly, it embraces this scarred self into its tenderness. It expands to the entire room, the yard outside, streets, pedestrians, bridges, cities, rivers and seas, mountain peaks, sky, sun, moon, stars... Focus on the sense of openness that can extend infinitely. When you open your eyes again, you will feel better.
3. Shantideva Bodhisattva described in detail the practice of exchanging oneself with others in "Enlightenment": sucking pain and worry into one's heart, and releasing joy and ease. Self-other exchange is also called the method of giving and receiving. In daily life, you can practice this method for yourself and other sentient beings through visualization anytime and anywhere. For example, when you feel depressed or tired, first be quiet for a moment and focus on your inner feelings. See yourself who is exhausted under pressure. Then take a deep breath to breathe in the discomfort such as depression and fatigue. When you exhale, Give yourself and others relief and energy. If you know what the other person needs most, or what makes the other person happy and relaxed the most, you can visualize what you want to give him when you exhale, a cup of tea, a piece of music, whatever.
We think we know everything, but often we can only see what we want to see and hear what we want to hear, but not what we can see and hear. Our beliefs, ideals, and values ??are often used to strengthen ourselves and exclude others. That "I" will jump out at any time, cunning and tenacious, with the ability to do anything to protect oneself, "This is pain, you should know the pain"
Everyone has a good side and a dark side side. As long as there is persistence in the heart, one cannot avoid harming others and oneself, so hating those with more ignorant habits is like laughing at a hundred steps with fifty steps. A person will not be liberated or not liberated just because he is labeled moral or immoral. Liberation transcends these.
What is Buddha actually? Buddha is your own nature, the highest wisdom (supreme enlightenment) that everyone is born with. Without discrimination, greed, anger and ignorance, you are also a Buddha.
Some people live a peaceful life without a fixed abode, while others live on the run in luxurious houses for the rest of their lives. Cultivation is also about cultivating the mind, going beyond daily life and creating a place of silence for yourself that you can carry with you.
Painting: Niu Li, a contemporary painter from Jiangxian County, Shanxi Province. Mr. Niu Li's cartoon works are simple and natural, friendly and modest, humorous and ironic, and can't help but laugh; Mr. Niu Li's ink paintings are light and pure, quiet and unconventional, light and freehand, and have a Zen style.