Meditation Basics - from the CABP San Diego Chapter

Center For American Buddhist Practice, San Diego, CA
Meditation Basics

This is a VERY short primer on meditation for those who have never meditated before or are still new to meditation.

Meditation is one of the three basic trainings in Buddhism (along with morality and wisdom practice). Meditation in Buddhism has many purposes, but at its most basic it is a tool and practice to help one get insight into how the mind works and also some basic practice in controlling the mind. A well controlled mind is key to success in Buddhism but also of great benefit in accomplishing all that one wished to do.

Buddhism is about becoming awake. So meditating should be done in an awake or alert state. When you are drowsy or tired, it is a poor time to meditate. If you feel that you are falling asleep while meditating, it is okay to slightly open your eyes and concentrate on a spot about 3 feet (one meter) in front of you.

If you are new to meditation, simply focus on counting your breath from 1 to 10 and repeat. If any thoughts arise, just let them pass and refocus on counting the breath. If you lose track of the numbers, just start again – no problem. The point is to focus your mind and notice how thoughts arise even if you do not wish it. It's not the time to think about your day or what you need to do later, just try to focus the mind and try not to let it get distracted. If you have further questions and there isn't a good time during the class, we be happy to spend time afterward to answer any questions that you may have.

We may also use walking meditations, during a walking meditation just follow the other practitioners if you are new. There is usually not much involved in walking meditation except following the leader. The walking in these meditations can be fast or slow. Just try to match the pace of the leader. Usually during walking you want to focus the mind either chanting to yourself (unless it is an out loud chanting meditation) or some people like to focus on the middle bottom part of their foot as they walk.

We may also do chanting meditations. If we do this, their will be some liturgy handed out so that you can follow along. The exceptions to this might be a simple chant like Om Mani Padme Hum or Amitaba where the few words are simply repeated. If you are not sure of the words or pronunciation, feel free to join in anyway. No one will mind if you don't say it perfectly. It is the effort in meditating that counts, not whether you got the words exact.

If you have any other questions, most everyone else will be happy to assist, just ask!

A Brief Look at the Purposes of a Buddhist Shrine

The Shrine Room

There are so many reasons, both gross and subtle, for why we have a shrine and the objects within it. We could spend years contemplating the meanings. So rather than write a book-sized explanation, this article will cover a few of the mundane and super-mundane points.

A Buddhist shrine represents two very important elements. The first element is the Three Jewels, which are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha (or the Enlightened Ones, the teachings they have given, and the community that practices these teachings). The second is the absolute perfect aspects of the Enlightened Ones’ body, speech, and mind.  A shrine also serves as a reminder or a pointer to the whole goal of practicing Buddhism: to become fully enlightened ourselves and to benefit all sentient beings. Unless we purify and perfect our own body, speech, and mind, we will be unable to be of any true benefit to others because our own ego and attachments will always get in the way. Because the shrine reflects or represents these perfect qualities, only the best items are used to set up a shrine. It kind of plays on the whole “what you think, you become” statement from Shakyamuni Buddha though in this case it is more of “display the qualities you wish to awaken”. Thus we would not want to depict our Buddha-nature with cheap quality items that have been poorly made or even worse, made by people working in very terrible conditions such “slave-labor”. Thus, items that have been carefully crafted and made with the intent to be beautiful and pleasing to look upon are best suited to reflect our innate Enlightened-nature.

With this understanding, a shrine is not set up as a display of wealth or to impress, but rather to be a focal point for the practitioner to look upon and collect their mind. It should be something that calms the practitioner and reminds them of their true nature and be a thing that inspires awakening.

Another purpose for the quality of the items used for a shrine is that it represents aspects of the “three kayas” or “trikaya”. Just as in all things, we should understand the concept of shunyata or ‘emptiness’. This ‘emptiness’ does not mean “voidness” in terms of “nothing-ness” but rather shunyata refers to the full or maximum potential nature of things. In other words, all things (objects) are devoid of an innate self or a specific ‘thing’ that would limit that thing (object). If we say this is such and such, we negate what it is also or its full potential. This is exactly what dualistic thoughts create – a very limited and poverty-minded point of view. Whereas non-dual thought promotes the openness and space for the full and unlimited potential of all things. This is called “the emptiness of dharmakaya” – the unseen full potential. When our senses are enlightened, we can perceive these objects in their purest and most perfect manifestations which are radiant, beautiful, spontaneous, and free from duality or discrimination. Generally speaking, this perfect form is what is depicted in our art, the statues and paintings; or in our minds in the form of visualizations. This form is called sambhogakaya. Lastly, it’s the physical manifestations that take place here in our normal everyday realm of experience – the mundane appearances. Though ‘things’ contain the essence of dharmakaya and sambhogakaya, they do still appear as either something perceived by our eyes, ears, nose, tongue, or mind. Nirmanakaya is the term for the mundane manifestation. Therefore in setting up a shrine, we have the physical items – bowls, flowers, lamps, etc. which represent the nirmanakaya; the quality of these items, both craftsmanship and actual materials symbolically represent the sambhogakaya; and the underlying nature of the items is the dharmakaya. Thus the shrine is a reflection of our own ‘trikaya’.

An Article on Offerings by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche

Making Offerings 

There is no limitation to what can be offered, and there are many levels of offering. In general, one can offer any pleasing object, particularly objects pleasing to the five senses -- form, sound, smell, taste, and touch.

In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition it is customary to offer seven bowls of water which represent the seven limbs of prayer -- prostrating, offering, confession, rejoicing in the good qualities of oneself and others, requesting the Buddhas to remain in this world, beseeching them to teach others, and dedicating the merits.

Flowers, candles or butter lamps, and incense are also commonly offered. It is customary to offer a part of every meal on the altar before eating and a portion of tea before drinking.
The things that should be offered should be clean, new and pleasing.  . . . only the best part, fresh, and clean -- never old, leftover, or spoiled food.

It is best to offer things that you already have or can obtain without difficulty. Don't think that you have to deceive others in order to get offering materials -- they should not come from stealing, cheating or hurting others in any way. Rather, they should be honestly obtained. In fact, it is better not to offer things that were obtained in even a slightly negative way.

As you make offerings, think that what you are offering is in nature your own good qualities and your practice, although it appears in the form of external offering objects. These external offerings should not be imagined as limited to the actual objects on the altar, but should be seen as vast in number, as extensive as space.

Offer food with the wish that all beings be relieved of hunger, and offer water with the wish that all beings be relieved of thirst. 

It is important to think that the deities accept the offerings, enjoy them and are pleased.  Think that by making these offerings all beings are purified of their negative qualities and their thirst for knowledge of the ultimate nature of reality is satisfied.

The purpose of making offerings is to accumulate merit and in particular to develop and increase the mind of generosity and to reduce stinginess and miserliness. By making offerings you also create the causes for the future results of becoming wealthy and becoming naturally and spontaneously generous.

Placing the Offerings on the Altar
If you have the space, place the offerings a little lower than the objects of refuge on your altar. When you awaken in the morning, it is customary to wash at least your face before approaching the altar to offer prostrations and then offerings -- this is a sign of respect for the objects represented there. One is making offerings as if one is accepting a dignitary or a great being into one's home, and it is important to be gracious and respectful.

To offer water on your altar, you should have a minimum of seven bowls. Start with fresh water every day. The bowls should be clean. Pour a little water into each bowl before placing it on the altar. Place the bowls in a straight line, close together but not touching. The distance between the bowls is traditionally measured by the width of a grain of wheat. The bowls should then be filled up to the space of a grain's width from the top -- neither too little nor too much. Pour water like the shape of a wheat grain -- in a thin stream at first, then gradually more, then tapering off at the end.

Try not to breathe on the offerings. If you have a butter lamp, you can place it on your altar between the third and fourth water bowls. Lamps or candles symbolize wisdom, eliminating the darkness of ignorance. In Tibetan monasteries hundreds of lamps are lit as offerings. There is really no limit to the quantity of either water bowls or lamps.

Blessing The Offerings

After pouring the water, lighting the candles and offering incense, bless the offerings by dipping a piece of kusha grass (or a tree twig) into the water, reciting three times OM AH HUM (seed syllables of the Buddha's body, speech, and mind), and then sprinkling the offerings with water. Visualize that the offerings are blessed.

Dedication 

Whether external offerings become pure or not, or whether they become a cause for good rebirth in the next life, a cause to achieve liberation, or a cause to achieve enlightenment to benefit all beings depends on one's motivation and dedication. Dedication is crucial.

It will not exhaust or limit one's store of merit but will multiply and increase it. It is excellent to dedicate the merit of making offerings to the elimination of suffering and its causes from all beings, to their achievement of lasting happiness, and to world peace.

Removing the Offerings 

At the end of the day, before or at sunset, empty the bowls one by one, dry them with a clean cloth and stack them upside down or put them away. Never leave empty bowls right side up on the altar. The water is not simply thrown away but offered to the plants in your house or in the garden.
Food and flowers should also be put in a clean place outside where birds and animals can eat them. Bowls of fruit can be left on the altar for a few days and can then be eaten when they come down -- there is no need to put them outside.
~ made available by Snow Lion Publications
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*Some people object to the use of the English word altar in reference to the surface upon which we keep objects symbolizing the 3 Jewels.  The word altar derives directly from the meaning high place with the connotation of sacrifice and proximity to the gods. 
It goes against fundamental Buddhist teachings to make offerings to beings with the idea of appeasing or bribing them.  

The Meaning of the 8 Offerings

edited from a talk by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche (5/1/1993)

". . . enlightened beings do not want or need these things. We make offerings for our own benefit, to accumulate great merit and wisdom.
Enlightenment, Buddhahood, is achieved through the two great qualities - accumulation and purification. As you know, the Buddha has limitless qualities, which were gained through the great accumulations and purifications. Our offerings are a simple way to accumulate both merit and wisdom.

1. WATER TO CLEANSE THE MOUTH OR FACE - Auspiciousness

It signifies auspiciousness or all the positive causes and conditions which bring positive effects. So, make an offering of water which is clean, fresh, cool, smooth, light, delicious, comfortable to the throat and stomach - these qualities are the qualities of auspiciousness. When you drink that kind of water, it is healthy; if you take a shower with it is healthy. While you make this kind of water offering to the enlightened beings, visualize an ocean of water.
Then we dedicate this water to become a cause for all sentient beings to also collect positive causes and conditions. So this is the first water offering - to cleanse the mouth or face.

2. WATER TO WASH THE FEET - Purification

This is clear water mixed with incense or sandalwood which is made as an offering to all enlightened beings' feet. The symbolic meaning is purification. By cleansing the feet of the enlightened beings, we cleanse all our own negative karma and obscurations. By making offerings to clean the enlightened beings feet, we are really cleaning the "feet" of our own mind.
With respect, devotion and confidence, we offer an ocean of this kind of water to all enlightened beings to purify all the temporary obscurations of ourselves and all sentient beings. Obscurations are called "temporary" because they can be purified. If they were permanent, we could not purify them even if we make an effort. So meditate on this when you make these offerings.
All the different types of obscurations -- gross, subtle, negative karma, afflictive emotions, and obscurations to enlightenment -- all these different types of obscurations become fully purified.

3. FLOWERS - Generosity

Next is offering of ... the flower of the beauty of enlightenment. It signifies the practice of generosity and opens the heart. A flower is very beautiful; so you naturally want to keep it.
But when you offer it to others, there is some special feeling in the mind. With that connection, make the offering and practice freedom from stinginess. Milarepa said there is no special practice of generosity if one is free from stinginess.  Meditate on that by offering flowers, which signifies the practice of generosity.
May all sentient beings achieve the freedom and endowment of a precious human life. Flowers are offered to the head of the enlightened beings, for them to wear on the crown of the head. Within the practice of generosity, we immediately think of giving wealth, giving fearlessness, giving wisdom -- there are many different types of generosity.
Usually when we say generosity, we immediately think of giving wealth, but it is not only that. For example, giving fearlessness means giving life. If someone is afraid for their life, like drowning in water, and if you give them safety from the water, this is called giving fearlessness, giving freedom from danger to life.
Giving wisdom is very special generosity. When we give teaching to one who has no wisdom -- does not know what samsara is, what enlightenment is, or what the cause of suffering is -- that is such a great gift. To help them understand "Oh, that is samsara, that is enlightenment." Such a great gift! So, offering a flower symbolizes generosity.

4. INCENSE - Discipline, Moral Ethics

Moral discipline is one of the most important practices. In the West, maybe discipline and morality are a little bit different. What I mean here is that when we have good discipline, there is morality. Discipline is in the teaching of the Dharma. For instance, it says, "do this, this, this. Sit like this, meditate like this." It is taught like discipline. So when we do that, it is good moral ethics; when we cannot do these things that are taught to be done, then there is no morality, no ethics.
In Sanskrit, this is called shila ... . means coolness, freshness. When we have good discipline, it cools the mind free from suffering. When we stay in that position well, it relaxes the mind and frees it from agitation. All these disciplines are part of the process of progressing in our meditation practice. Unless these disciplines and moral ethics are there, it is not possible to achieve enlightenment.
Therefore, Buddha gave these three teachings -- moral ethics, samadhi and wisdom -- called the Three Trainings. These Three Trainings are very important. Wisdom or special insight comes from samadhi, [meditation] the stability and strength of the mind. That kind of strength in the mind is based on discipline and morality. So they are all related to each other, are connected to each other and depend on each other.
Therefore, moral ethics is a very important aspect of path. Incense, which is the nature of morality, makes offerings to the nose of the enlightened beings. The enlightened beings are not attached to smell, but to our purity. All people respect those who have kept moral ethics well. It doesn't matter who they are, they get respect because they are trustworthy and dependable. That kind of person gives a good smell, good odor, and people are attracted to that. not only people, but the qualities of enlightened beings are also attracted by that morality. It is their foundation/basis, like the ground which grows ... the "crops" of ... enlightened qualities.


5. LIGHT - Patience

Light . . . signifies the stability and clarity of patience, the beauty which dispels all ignorance. The light offering is made to the eyes of all the enlightened beings, who see clearly without mistake. Some people feel patience is showing weakness or pessimism. But, actually, patience shows the strength and clarity of mind, which are based on wisdom and compassion.
Without proper wisdom and compassion, one cannot practice patience. So light shows that the strength of the mind, the clear, stable nature of the mind, achieved through the practice of patience. Because the mind is not disturbed by other forces, it has such great qualities: clarity knows what is to be done, which is necessary, which is not necessary. That dispels ignorance.
Patience can be practiced in all different forms, different ways, not just when people are faced with anger. For example, there is patience in Dharma practice and study. First, this is based on wisdom, so we should have such wisdom to really know how Dharma is, what quality it has, the depth and vastness of Dharma, and how we can achieve these qualities. Seeing those great qualities, then we need patience to study and practice. When we have that, there is a mind of clarity, of stability.
On the other hand we should not be patient with our afflictive emotions. When we have anger, desire, jealousy, pride, don't practice patience with these! This is the wrong way to practice patience. Even if it is hard or painful, these are subjects to get rid of or purify; they don't do any good thing.  Without sacrificing something, there is no chance that we will have peace and happiness. So no matter what kind of pain we face, what difficult circumstances we face, we have to go thru it. Even if we have to sacrifice this life, it is worthwhile to sacrifice.
A lot of people commit suicide to get rid of all these afflictive emotions. They are overpowered by the afflictive emotions and they kill themselves. That is the wrong way to sacrifice this life. We have to sacrifice this life the other way around. Buddha said that if we have to lose our life to keep the moral discipline, it just finishes this life, but next lives will be higher and higher, better and better. But if we do it the other way around and sacrifice this life for the afflictive emotions, then we will go worse and worse.
In Shantideva's text it is said that we should not commit suicide or give this body without much purpose. Rather, we should cherish this precious human life. An explanation is given. When a medicinal tree is very small plant, it has to be protected in order to grow into a huge tree. If you pick it up when it is small, it will benefit only a few and then it is finished. But if you protect it well with many fences, it will grow into a huge tree that will bring fruits, flowers, roots, leaves, branches for the benefit of many, many sentient beings.
Similarly we have a fragile mind at this time. We must protect this precious human life with all these antidotes, fences, and let it grow big. Then we can benefit many sentient beings. By the practice of patience, all the 112 major and minor marks of a Buddha will come. Of course, we should not expect it, but the result of patience is a healthy, good body, to which all people are attracted, which is respected and admired. All this comes from the practice of patience.

6. FRAGRANCE - Perseverance

. . . the fragrance of saffron or sandalwood. -- all the different types of perfume . . . signifies perseverance or joyous effort. Through that one quality, one develops all the qualities of enlightenment. Without perseverance, without joyous effort, nothing can be achieved. Even in samsara, we have to work so hard to achieve anything. A lot of people sacrifice a lot of things just for samsaric achievement. You sacrifice your life for your work; if you die, what will you do with your wealth? So now, see the other side -- Dharma study and practice. When we could make such a great effort to study, practice Dharma, we have to sacrifice some little thing.
It is said in Shantideva's text that studying Dharma is the cause to freedom from suffering. To achieve ultimate enlightenment, ultimate happiness, why can't we do that? Others in samsara, . . . even sacrifice their life for their achievements, but that becomes a cause only for suffering.
As flowers were offered to the eyes of enlightenment, perfumes are offered to the Buddha's mind because perseverance is the heart of enlightenment. Perfect generosity, moral ethics, patience, samadhi, wisdom -these all depend on perseverance. Without joyous effort none of these can be accomplished, so it is the heart, the essence. Meditate that by this offering, may all sentient beings progress in their attainment of the qualities of enlightenment.

7. DELICIOUS FOOD - Samadhi

. . . food which has a lot of different tastes. The delicious, excellent quality of food signifies . . . nectar or ambrosia to feed the mind.  This is an offering to the tongue of the enlightened beings, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Samadhi is also the source of all the siddhis like clairvoyance.
There are two different types of clairvoyance -- ordinary clairvoyance is usually from other lifetimes. The other type is special insight clairvoyance, which we achieve this lifetime through meditation practice. Flying in the sky, different types of miraculous power, these can all be achieved through samadhi, the virtuous one-pointed mind.
The very stable mind, one-pointed, clear, calm, peaceful mind of samadhi becomes a basis to achieve all the enlightenment qualities. Food symbolizes samadhi because eating food maintains this body, and samadhi is a kind of food that maintains the mind as well as the physical body.
When you achieve any kind of samadhi, it is the fruition of the effort you made before, and it can also become a path to get higher fruition. Generally, when we eat nutritious healthy food, it makes our health better.  ... the nutritious food of samadhi, it keeps the health of the mind. It makes the mind healthy, clear, calm and peaceful. By making this offering of delicious food, may all sentient beings have the health which results from the samadhi food. May all sentient beings have the samadhi nature, quality.

8. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS - Wisdom

 There are different types of instruments -- cymbals, bells, guitars, lutes -- all of these are offered. Their nature is wisdom, which makes an offering to the ears of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and all the enlightened beings.
Sound represents wisdom because wisdom is a special power of the mind which penetrates phenomena. Compassion is achieved through great wisdom; interdependence of all phenomena is realized through great wisdom. of course all phenomena have the nature of interdependence, causes and conditions, but sound is especially easy to understand. If you play a guitar, what does the sound depend on?  It does not come just from the piece of wood, the string, not from the finger.
So where does it come from? It comes from all these things, none alone is sufficient to produce the sound. That nature is called illusion. We can hear the Sound, but it has no independent existence. So we should see all sound having that nature. It just comes and goes like an echo. That realization is wisdom, and through that realization we can attain supra-mundane quality.
May the wisdom, that quality of the supra-mundane, arise within the minds of all sentient beings and free them from all confusion and ignorance.  May they achieve enlightenment.

Questions & Answers
Q.  Should the bowls be emptied every evening?
A.  Yes, when you empty them, you should meditate on impermanence. Now all the enlightened beings are fully satisfied. Dedicate the merit accumulation of making these offerings to all sentient beings. May all those beings also become Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, free from confusion and suffering.

Q.  Do you have to have actual flowers, or can I use rice or water?
A.  Buddha said that there are so many different levels of meditation practice -- from 100% to 1%. So all this we can do depending on the individual practitioner. But even the 1% . . .  -- it's better than nothing.
When we make offering by filling all the bowls with rice, it is wonderful. The Buddha said that even if you take one piece of flower and throw it in the air while focusing on the Buddha, that will become a cause for freedom from samsara.

Q.  Some people make it very elaborate and elegant, expensive looking; others have simple white bowls with water.
A.  No matter what, you have to have a pure motive. This is very important. With pure motivation, any offering you make is good. Expensive is great because you sacrifice a lot of things for that offering. but if you do not have pure motivation, like doing it to show wealth, then maybe it's not so pure.
We work this entire life, so for us these things mean so much. When we make an offering of them to the enlightened beings, it has meaning for us. We sacrifice that part of our life. In this way, offering becomes a special meditation practice."

   ~ from a talk by Khenpo Konchog Gyaltsen Rinpoche on May 1, 1993 at the Tibetan Meditation Center, published in The Dharma Wheel, Summer 1993 and made available online by Sacred Texts.

Generating Bodhicitta Daily

Upon Arising and When Lying Down to Sleep

This is a method to help generate and maintain Bodhicitta apart from a formal ceremony or service. The method itself works best if it is developed into a daily practice rather than being employed “now and then”. It is rooted in the Seven Points of Mind Training or lojong which is a system that is closely related to the Six Perfections (six paramitas). The main focus or point of the method is to begin each day, right off the bat, with generating Bodhicitta and likewise ending the day doing the same. Actually, it’s not really ending the day but more like beginning sleep with Bodhicitta. Thus our daily activities and our time of sleep are both ‘sandwiched’ by the generation and thoughts of compassion and well-being for all sentient beings. There is nothing complicated about the method. In fact, it is very simple and straightforward.

Here is the method:

When one arises from sleep in the morning, before anything is spoken out loud and before one begins to think of the myriad of things that need to be done throughout the day, the following statement should be made:

“May all my efforts and activities of body, speech, and mind be for the benefit of all sentient beings. May all my activities go towards the fulfillment of my desire, that all sentient beings have happiness and its causes; may they never have suffering or its causes; may they continuously dwell in joy that transcends suffering; and may they all dwell in equal love for both near and far.”

At the end of one’s day, just before lying down to sleep, one should make the following statement:

“May I have restful and refreshing sleep in order to be of benefit to all sentient beings. May I continue to practice even in the dream realm for the benefit of all sentient beings, fulfilling the wish that all sentient beings have happiness and its causes; may they never have suffering or its causes; may they continuously dwell in joy that transcends suffering; and may they all dwell in equal love for both near and far.”

This method is not meant to “replace” daily practice and meditations. Its purpose is to help keep the Bodhicitta principle at the forethought of the mind. Starting and ending every day with the attitude of compassion and loving-kindness (karuna and maitri) will begin to influence everything else that one does throughout the day and night.

Some thoughts on discipline

The Path

I have chosen to write this based upon my own personal experiences and insights. It has become overwhelmingly clear to me why all the great masters throughout history have always taught that one should follow a single path. Though so much of what is a “Universal Truth” exists within the various “reasonable” religions, the actual paths vary greatly. Thus the Enlightened Ones stand by the teaching that a person should be devoted to a single path. For me, I thought that as long as one keeps their eye on the Universal Truth of the matter, many different paths can be traveled upon. That view was certainly not a “right view”. It's like the analogy of a person trying to take two different routes up a mountain, one starting on the North side and the other starting on the South side. One will never actually traverse any profound distance up the mountain this way. A second analogy that really got me was of a person wanting to sail a boat and yet surf a long board at the same time. Even if that person came up with a clever way to do this, it would be clumsy, ill-effective, and certainly not skillful. Plus, they would never be able to traverse the globe in any reasonable way. Yet there I was attempting to do this ridiculous “trick”.

Therefore, having seen that I was doing such a thing and seeing that it was not skillful and not creating anything truly virtuous, I renounced every path that I had taken up as a practice but one. I chose one path to be completely devoted to – not for my own glory or to look good in the eyes of others, or even to make myself somehow feel “accomplished”, but to truly subdue my own clinging and attachments. Interestingly enough, during one of my own personal daily studies, I came to a teaching that says, “Of the two witnesses, hold the principle one”. This strongly reminded me that no matter how another may see me, whether they see me as having any accomplishments or severely lacking in that department or anything in between, that is nothing more than a signal to continue to subdue my ego. Though I am empowered to and will continue to teach publicly, which is a practice given to me by my own personal teacher within CABP, I have resigned taking ‘private students’ and will leave that to the true gurus.

It is very important to understand too that being devout to a single path does not mean that a person should become closed-minded to the other reasonable faiths in this world. Rather it becomes an opportunity to be more open and supportive to those other faiths without having to ever step off our own personal path. Without ever climbing off our own bicycle, we can still encourage the person that just passed us on their motorcycle.

When we devote ourselves to a specific spiritual practice, it is generally well laid out for us… that is why it is called a “path”. Much like climbing a great mountain, we follow the clip-points that a previous master rock climber left for us. We only truly tempt real danger when we begin to wander off the given course like when we try to change back and forth from one distinct path to another.

Even though we may clearly see the Universal-ness vibrantly in numerous paths, to take up more than one path is at best unwise and at worst, self-destructive. I found it very interesting that of every great master that I could find who promoted peace and harmony among all religions, they themselves were only devoted to one specific path, whether that was or is Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, etc. I have to admit that I did find some teachers that were indeed “multi-religious”, but interestingly enough, they were never considered to be truly great masters and there is not much left of their legacies or traditions. I am reminded of a teaching on this topic from back in my days of Jewish studies that stated a religion that is actually true will last more than 300 years, and those that are not true will not last. I am not sure how true that teaching is, but is something to really think about – fads vs. reasonable faiths. This is not to say that a person should not leave one path for another, sometimes it takes a while to find the “right” path for us, but it does imply that when we do change from one to another, so should our devotion. If we change from riding a bike to sailing a boat, we should not try to hold onto the bike or the methods of riding a bike and try to apply them to sailing. As silly as this might sound, this is what many of us try to do - I know I tried it.

Having realized the mistakes I made both knowingly and unknowingly, I have returned to my “root” path and let go of the others. I have wholeheartedly resubmitted myself to a specific tradition and the specific path this tradition offers. Now I understand that all the empowerments and transmissions that I have been given or will be given in the future are for me and my personal practice only. My ordination to teach exists in the specific realm that it was given and that is its role. I am no guru and my authority is limited to only what I actually know.

The Six Paramitas (excerpt from a beginning Buddhism class)

Six Perfections

The Six Perfections (paramita or six paramitas) are virtues that are perfected during a practitioner’s development through the hearing, the active study, and application of the Buddha-dharma within each of the Three Trainings. These virtues or attributes coincide with the Three Trainings as follows: 

Trainings                             Perfections       

Sila                                         Generosity

                                                Discipline

                                                Patience

Samadhi                                Exertion (effort or energy)

                                                Meditation (observation/contemplation/investigation)

Prajña                                                Wisdom-knowledge 

The Buddha said that these perfections must be developed before one realizes liberation and that these perfections can only be attained via the Three Trainings. The order of the six paramitas is very critical due to their interconnectedness as shown below:

Generosity opens the way for compassion and kindness by removing greed and stinginess. This not only refers to money but also one’s time and energy. Discipline is required to conduct oneself in a way that is conducive to breaking the habitual patterns of negative and harmful behaviour. Patience, which also includes tolerance, develops with the understanding that the suffering of all sentient beings arises from a cause. It should be added that patience must be developed so that one can remain disciplined in their practice. Effort or exertion means the complete resolve to stay true to the path and not be distracted or to become lazy so as to not make progress. Meditation refers to the actual development of a meditation practice that allows one to cut through all forms of delusion and see the true nature of things. This includes the discovery of the illusion of “self” or ego and “independence from other.” Wisdom-knowledge is the realization of supreme wisdom which is the sum of all the perfections. This supreme wisdom is what the Heart Sutra (Mahaprajñaparamita Hrdaya Sutra) says is the foundation for attaining “Unsurpassed, Complete and Perfect Enlightenment” (annutara-samyak-sambodhi).

In the Vajrayana, there is a system of training the mind for those that take up the path of the bodhisattva. That training consists of seven points and those points coincide with the development of bodhicitta (Ultimate and Relative) and each of the Six Paramitas. Thus the development of the Six Paramitas is extremely critical to the development of the bodhisattva. 

The Eight-fold Path, (except from a begining Buddhism class)

Eightfold Path

The term “Right” is used in place of the Sanskrit word samyak which more closely means “genuinely pure.”

Genuinely Pure View refers to the profound meaning within each of the Four Noble Truths, including but not limited to: karma, meditation, Precepts, cause and effect and so on.

Genuinely Pure Thought is considered to be focused on the aspiration toward kindness, compassion and renouncing that which is unwholesome or incorrect.

Genuinely Pure Speech deals directly with refraining from harmful speech such as slander or verbal abuse.

Genuinely Pure Action focuses on physical actions: renouncing harmful actions such as killing, stealing, sexual misconduct etc.; it also implies developing compassionate actions that benefit our selves and others. 

Genuinely Pure Livelihood literally refers to how we go about making a living, whether it is collecting alms as a monastic or holding down a job. In any case, it should be one that is not harmful to oneself, other people, sentient beings or the environment. 

Genuinely Pure Effort may be said as Genuinely Pure Intent, meaning it is the stirring up of energy to support and practice that which is virtuous and to set aside all that is non-virtuous.

Genuinely Pure Mindfulness is the direct paying attention to this very moment, the activity/inactivity of mind, emotions and paying attention to our bodies.

Genuinely Pure Meditation means exactly that – the meditation practices that we take up.

The Mahasatipatthana Sutta explains these as:

“Right View is the understanding of the four noble truths. Right Thought is the pursuit towards kindness, compassion and throwing off all that is unwholesome. Right Speech refers to speech that is free of lying, slander, abuse and idle chat. Right Action abstains from killing, stealing and sexual misconduct. Right Livelihood is a mode of personal support that is free from any unwholesome actions towards people, animals and the environment. Right Effort refers to generating the energy to support all that is wholesome and to refrain from all that is harmful or non-productive. Right Mindfulness is to be in a state of mindfulness/awareness – paying attention to one’s own actions, thoughts, emotions and vows. Right Meditation is the perfection of meditation through the practice of samadhi, yoga and other meditative exercises.

Used as a training “outline” to manifest prajña:

The eight branches cover the full spectrum of activities of body, speech and mind within the three trainings. Thus Right Speech, Action and Livelihood are developed through the Moral Conduct training; Right Mindfulness and Meditation develop within Meditative Concentration training; and Right View, Thought and Effort arise from the Wisdom-knowledge training.

The Adhidharmakosabhasya teaches that each of the eight branches are not a part of the noble path until they become ‘genuinely pure’. Meaning they must be trained before one attains the fruits of the fourth Noble Truth.

The method to practice the three trainings – and therefore accomplish the eight branches – is outlined in the Five Precepts. A more advanced method that leads to even ‘finer tuning’ is the path of the Bodhisattva Vows (precepts).