An accumulation of merit and wisdom is a prerequisite to attaining enlightenment, the framework for which is provided by the practice of the ‘six perfections’. The first five perfections — generosity, discipline, forbearance/patience, diligence/vigour and concentration/meditation — are associated with the attainment of merit, while practices related to the sixth — wisdom — develop insight into the lack of inherent existence of self and other. It is this last practice that causes the other practices to be ‘perfected’. Without realization that the giver, gift and beneficiary are without inherent existence, the practices of generosity and so forth are deprived of their transcendental qualities, and the merit accrued by engaging in them merely matures and decays within samsara.
In order that the benefits of these practices ripen as causes for enlightenment, they should be undertaken under the auspices of the three merit-transforming practices explained on pages 15 & 16 and 86 to 88.
Generosity
The practice of generosity or giving provides us with a means to surrender the self, and is enhanced when done in a spirit of spontaneity, joy and openness. In the same way that a radiant full moon naturally bestows light and beauty on the world without discrimination or expectation of reward, acts of generosity should not be forced, but allowed to skilfully flow forth as an expression of an open and generous heart and a mind untainted by thoughts of personal gain or feelings of superiority.
While the motivation for practising any kind of generosity is the same, a distinction is made in the forms of giving.
Offering material goods: This kind of offering relates to the relief of physical pain and discomfort, and consists of making gifts to the poor and needy of food, drink, clothes, medicine and money. Offering alms to members of the Sangha and assisting those who are entering a retreat are especially beneficial forms of giving.
Offering protection: Here we endeavour to protect others from fear or harm. When we encounter beings in danger, we courageously and spontaneously act to save and protect them. Offering sanctuary to someone who is suffering abuse, showing someone living in torment a way to overcome fear, or saving animals from being treated cruelly or which are under threat of slaughter are all examples of offering protection.
Offering Dharma: Facilitating a link between beings and the Dharma, offering Dharma teachings and instructions when requested to do so, and making Dharma material available to those who express interest are all examples of offering Dharma.
Discipline
While the English word ‘discipline’ has a connotation of severity, in the context of Dharma it implies a sense of cooling or calming. Unharnessed, the mind is like a raging fire fanned by emotions. Some days we are happy, while the next we are in a black hole or feeling agitated and annoyed. We are pulled this way and that by our impulses, and our lives lack the peace and stability required to sustain our happiness and well-being. Taking vows and maintaining discipline lend support to our efforts to take charge of our lives. They are like discovering the brake and steering wheel in a car that is out of control.
The vows we take and the attitude we adopt in relation to the practice of discipline are marked by three characteristics: the first relates to restraint. We understand the harmful effects of killing and cheating, for example, and vow not to yield to such impulses.
Next, we recognize that mere restraint is insufficient to bring true benefit to others. It is like a ground that has been purged of poison but lacks the richness to produce wholesome and beneficial crops. Therefore, we embark on transforming the mind into a fertile ground suitable for cultivating positive actions.
Finally, in order to provide a framework for our altruistic intention, we might take the Bodhisattva vows. This is like a river that nourishes the land. In order to do so effectively, it requires both a pure source of water and sturdy banks to contain the flow. Bodhisattvas on the path of accumulation are the same. Even if our motivation is pure, if our action lacks a specific channel along which to flow there is a strong possibility that our efforts will be dissipated or misguided. These vows comprise the third characteristic of the practice of discipline.
Forbearance/Patience
The mind cannot express two conflicting emotions at the same time. Joy and anger, for example, cannot coexist. Therefore, by cultivating patience, our suffering diminishes as habitual tendencies such as hatred, frustration and annoyance dissolve.
Negative emotions arise when we cannot successfully handle a situation. Even if we encounter someone who appears troublesome, generally we do not feel angry or annoyed when we can deal with him or her skilfully. Anger and frustration boil up when we feel cornered and are unable to make a dignified exit. We are stuck and have lost face, so we try to blast our way through. These kinds of situations, however, provide the perfect stage for us to practise forbearance.
Instead of following our usual lines, we can just let the emotion rise and settle without reacting; we neither suppress nor indulge it, but simply experience it as a sensation in a non-judgemental way. Later, we can shine wisdom onto the situation by asking ourselves why we felt embarrassed or angry. Likewise, we can reflect on why we are intimidated by people whose opinions do not accord with our own. In the former case, our unhappy predicament has inevitably arisen as a result of some unresolved personal issue, such as a fear of being a laughing stock or a need to always be correct. In the latter case, we will discover that we are too idealistic. Expecting never to encounter people who oppose us is like living in London and being surprised by rain.
Our negative emotions are not caused by the external situation, but are produced by our own mind. This is the focus of our training in patience.
The practice of patience has three aspects: the first relates to those who seem to wish us ill. Besides examining the reasons for our unskilful responses as described above, we should also examine the motives behind the acts of hostility. All beings wish to be happy. The person who has just stolen our bag did so because they felt that it would bring some advantage to their lives. The colleague who made an unkind remark did so believing it would assuage his jealousy.
As Dharma practitioners, we recognize that such actions are based on ‘ignorance’; they not only lack the fundamentals to produce the happiness the perpetrator desires, but actually increase their suffering. Therefore, rather than losing our temper or seeking revenge, we cultivate patience based on understanding and compassion. To develop patience under these circumstances brings peace of mind and allows us to accumulate abundant merit.
The second aspect of the practice is to show forbearance on the path. We are in samsara, the nature of which is suffering. Consequently, when we encounter difficulties, rather than kick and scream and
wonder why these problems have befallen us, we can say to ourselves: ‘Hey, this is samsara. The nature of unenlightened existence is suffering.” Sometimes the sun shines; at other times a storm brews. While our responses to these conditions differ according to their specific demands — for example, we might stay indoors during a storm but go for a hike on a sunny day — our mind remains peaceful in both situations. This is because we recognize that during the course of our lives we will inevitably encounter both pleasant and difficult conditions.
In addition, it is the challenging situations rather than the pleasant ones that offer us the best opportunities to practise, and we should therefore appreciate any problems that arise. Responding to
difficulties with a mind grounded in forbearance and wisdom in this way not only allows the karmic residue of past negative actions to be burnt up, but also plants positive seeds for the future. In addition, we should reflect on the lives of great masters like Milarepa and Naropa. Despite the immense hardships they underwent in order to practise the Dharma, they did not flinch in their resolve, and through perseverance finally attained the fruits of their endeavours.
The third aspect concerns cultivating patience in order to discover the truth. The Buddha said we should investigate the teachings of the Dharma in the same way a goldsmith examines gold. While weight and colour validate gold, the hallmark of authentic teachings is whether they accord with reason and are beneficial to all beings. According to the Buddha, only when the teachings meet these requirements can they be accepted.
However, because we are unfamiliar with many of the ideas that the Buddha presented, we may be unable to immediately grasp their deeper meaning. In such cases, we should be careful not to criticize or reject the teachings. Instead, we should reflect on previous ideas and concepts that we once denounced as incorrect but later came to accept. In this way we will realize that our opinions are not permanent but merely formed in relation to reference points, such as education and cultural bias.
It takes courage and flexibility to accept radical new ideas. Therefore, when we encounter a Buddhist doctrine that we cannot yet understand, we should cultivate patience and contemplate its meaning in an open and spacious way. Later, as our practice and wisdom mature, we will gradually understand that the teaching conveys a message that is both reasonable and beneficial to all beings.
Diligence/Vigour
Nothing is achieved without effort — even preparing a meal requires a certain amount of exertion. Attaining the fruits of the path is no different. When Gampopa was leaving his teacher Milarepa, he requested a final teaching. In response, Milarepa lifted his robe to reveal the calluses on his rear, which were formed by years of sitting in meditation. The message was that without exertion and diligence in practice, enlightenment is unattainable.
It is a mistake, however, to think of exertion as necessarily being unpleasant. When we go for a hike in the woods or a swim in a lake, for example, it takes effort, yet we are not unhappy to exert ourselves in these activities. We know that the consequences will be pleasant and beneficial. Exerting ourselves in Dharma practice should be done in the same way.
There are three categories in the practice of diligence: the first is called ‘armour-like diligence’. We reflect deeply on the value of human life and consider that we not only possess the faculties and freedom to practise the Buddha Dharma, but have also met with an authentic teacher to guide us on the path. What a rare opportunity we have to break through the shackles of samsara, and what a great tragedy it would be if it were wasted! With this thought deeply rooted in our mind, we vow to face all difficulties and hardships in order to practise and attain the fruits of the sacred Dharma.
The esteemed master Longchenpa said: ‘Our activities are like children's games. They go on as long as we continue; they stop as soon as we stop them.’(125) Our lives are short, and rather than spending our days concerned with ‘children's games’, we should diligently engage in practice of the Dharma.
Once there was a man who, at a young age, was shipwrecked alone on a bleak desert island. Life was very difficult for him, and he was unhappy. Then one day some boxes of books were washed up on the shore, and the pictures they contained stirred distant memories of the lush lands, the great and beautiful cities, and the tall and handsome people he had seen as a child. He vowed to build a boat and set out to find these places. Yet, each day he merely busied himself in eating and sleeping. Slowly, his quest to understand the world died, and he no longer thought about why he was on the island or about the fantastic places beyond the seas. He just stayed there fretting about life and occupying himself with mundane matters. Then, one day when he was old and sick, he thought again about these places. He wondered about the purpose of his life and regretted that he had been so lazy in his younger days. Now it was too late. Some years later, the crew of a passing ship found his skeleton...
Most people would agree that this man wasted his life — but can we say we are any different? Busying ourselves every day working; shopping and eating, we probably rarely think about the deeper meaning of life. We might have heard of the Buddha's teachings, and they evoke joy and hope, but we are too lazy to practise. One day it will also be too late... The second aspect of the practice of diligence, then, is called ‘diligence in action’. This practice begins when we vow not to waste our lives with trivia, but to passionately and enthusiastically strive to discover the truth.
When we wash our clothes, we aim to clean them thoroughly. It is useless to merely rinse them and, even though they still remain stained, be satisfied that they have been washed. The purpose of our efforts is the removal of dirt, not the washing. It is the same with practice. We are often content to say we have sat in meditation for thirty minutes or have completed a certain number of prostrations, irrespective of whether we slept through the meditation or our thoughts were elsewhere during the prostrations. How often have we rushed through a text, and then the moment we finished, slammed the book shut and dashed off to meet a friend for coffee? The aim of Dharma practice is to purify the mind and give rise to enlightenment, not to merely satisfy a samaya （128） requirement or to boast to friends how many prostrations we have done that morning. The final aspect of diligence, insatiable diligence, aims to correct this tendency. Each day, we should not only vow to deepen our practice, but also extend the length of time devoted to it.
Concentration/Meditation
The qualities of meditation are often compared to the light cast by a butter lamp. The first aspect, shamatha,（127） is like the stillness of the flame, while vipashyana,（128） the second aspect, is like its glow. In order for a lamp to be useful, it needs a flame that is both bright and still. Practice is the same. A mind that is dull or unstable is incapable of penetrating the nature of phenomena and of mind itself, an understanding which gives rise to wisdom.
While the skills and insights gained through the practices of shamatha and vipashyana are equally essential to realization of the truth, we begin with the cultivation of stillness through the practice of shamatha. Only when the mind has attained a certain degree of stability should we undertake the next step, vipashyana.
Experienced practioners can sit in the middle of a major highway without being disturbed. However, most of us need to practise in a quiet place. While the practice of shamatha should become an integral part of our lives like eating or sleeping, because we often undertake these kinds of activities in a mindless and uninspired way, it is helpful to create a simple but elegant environment for our practice. These preparations need not be elaborate — it is not necessary to have Tibetan thangkas （129） or gongs from Japan. All that is required is a space that is uncluttered, airy and clean, and which is not too damp or subject to extremes of temperature. If there is a Buddha statue, it should be placed in a high position, and in order to create conducive conditions for our practice, we might regularly place offerings before it of incense, candles, clean water and fresh flowers. Before beginning to meditate, many people also find it helpful to centre the mind by making three slow and respectful prostrations towards the statue. There are no strict rules regarding these rituals. We all have different ways of expressing our respect and calming our mind, so we should not be afraid to be creative in bringing the rituals to life. However, we should not lose the plot, and the methods we employ need to remain simple and beneficial.
For the practice of shamatha, we then assume meditation posture and try to maintain one-pointed focus. In the beginning, it is preferable to sit for short （130） but frequent periods. Later, after the mind has gained some stability, the time can be extended. ‘Quality, not quantity’ is the guiding motto.
There are three stages in the cultivation of concentration. During the early stages we become fascinated by the experiences that arise through meditation, and deliberately seek them. Later, we overcome the attachment to these experiences, but cling to the antidote. Finally, we relinquish the antidote and remain in concept-free concentration.
Wisdom
Insight into the emptiness of self and other that arises from the cultivation of wisdom is the spark that transforms the other perfections into transcendental activities. It infuses them with a sky-like indestructible quality, without which their fruits would ripen and decay on a mundane level. Likewise, the practice of wisdom is insufficient in itself to attain enlightenment. As was stated in earlier chapters, wisdom and compassion must be fully integrated, like the two wings of a bird.
There are three aspects relating to the practice of wisdom. Initially, we hear teachings on emptiness given by a spiritual teacher and try to grasp their meaning. Later, we contemplate and ponder their significance, and ask questions to clarify points we have not fully understood. A mere intellectual understanding of emptiness, however, is insufficient to transform our mind. We need to internalize our understanding through direct insight, and this we accomplish through the practice of vipashyana.
Assuming meditation posture, we might contemplate such questions as: ‘Who or what is this thing called I?’ ‘Where is it located?’ ‘What colour and shape is it?’ ‘What is the nature of a flower?’ Finally, we sit silently, resting in the realization of the empty but luminous nature of mind.
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（125） Patrul Rinpoche, 1996: 246.
（126） Vows or commitments taken with respect to Tantric practices.
（127） In English, this kind of meditation is often called ‘tranquillity meditation’.
（128） In English, this kind of meditation is often called ‘insight meditation’.
（129） Paintings of Buddhas or deities often used in the visualization practices associated with Vajrayana Buddhism.
（130） One or two minutes is sufficient
related post: Appendix 4：The Four Seals of Buddhism
Source Of Information:
《Releasing Life: An Ancient Buddhist practice in the Modern World》, by Shenphen Zangpo (Stephen Powell), distributed by: Persatuan Penganut Agama Buddha Amitabha Malaysia, 90 & 92, Jalan Pahang, Gombak, 53000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.)
*** The information provided above does not contain personal opinion of this blog.
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