I chant buddha name and listened to chants on mp3.
I read heart sutra,diamond sutra and sutra of eight great realisation.
All very short and easy to read.
Am I practising correctly?
step by step...move by move....
I chanted NAMO AMTF everyday.
when a person become happier and being able to find mental, emotional and spiritual relief with the practice. Then it is a correct practice for that person.
gassho
Namu myoho renge kyo
other than chanting you can try practicing vipassana:
Recently had a MSN discussion with two forummers about dharma practice. Conversation took place on 31st March 2011 (Fri),
Here is an edited version of the conversation:
Participant 1: If there is no self, then who and what is restraining the mind, following the virtues (i.e. practicing the dharma)?
Me: That's like asking who or what is hearing, who or what is seeing, who or what is acting. This is actually a falsely put question as never was there a doer, perceiver, or agent in the first place. Seeing, action, all arise according to inter-dependent origination. No agent or source is necessary as such.
Participant 1: Where does volition come from?
Me: Volition does not come from anywhere, just as burning fire does not come from north, south, east, or west. Neither does fire go to north, south, east, west, up, down, or anywhere in-between after blowing out. Rather, it is by the requisite/supporting conditions that fire burns: in this case, by virtue of candle and oil, fire manifests. By the cessation of those conditions, the fire ceases as well. This is the principle of dependent origination:
When there is this, that is.
With the arising of this, that arises.
When this is not, neither is that.
With the cessation of this, that ceases.
Everything functions in the way of dependent origination, neither coming from somewhere nor going somewhere.
Participant 1: So, restraining the mind and following the virtues come from the conditions of hearing the dharma and self-discipline?
Me: You can say so.
Participant 1: What about those who hear the dharma, have self-discipline, yet have conditions that prevent them from following Buddhism such as karmic obstruction?
Me: Karma only becomes obstruction if you allow karma to obstruct you. If you are obstructed by karma, it is termed karmic obstruction.
Participant 1: What is the condition that allows their karma to obstruct them from dharma?
Me: Difficult to say as situations differ so you need to provide concrete cases. Just an example: If a person doesn't live near a dharma center, then he reasons to himself that he does not have a karmic affinity with dharma, then that becomes a karmic obstruction. If nonetheless, regardless of distance, that person is earnest, he will be willing to go an extra mile in search of right guidance. This is just an example I made up.
Participant 1: So does it become karmic obstruction or is it because of karmic obstruction (that the person does not come to practice the dharma)?
Me: In this case, it becomes a karmic obstruction, partly due to his personal attitude, intention, decisions.
Participant 1: Ah okay. I found a good link for what I need answered: http://www.buddhanet.net/budsas/ebud/mahasi-anat/anat03.htm
Me: Good link. Mahasi Sayadaw is likely a fully liberated arahant. That said I don't practice his method of noting, even though it is a very efficient practice (countless practitioners have reported swift progress using that method). In my own opinion, Thusness's method of Vipassana is a little more direct and closer to the method laid out in Mahasatipatthana Sutta, and I personally prefer that method. Noting is sort of noting and labelling sensations quickly in order to perceive it's three characteristics (impermanency, unsatisfactoriness, non-self), however it is not the direct experience of luminous clarity like what Thusness's method result in. At some point (when the noting practitioner progresses to a more advanced phase of his practice), the practitioner will have to drop it's noting and resort to a direct method such as that elucidated by Thusness and Mahasatipatthana Sutta.
Participant 1: What is Thusness's method?
Me: As elucidated in his conversation with Ck/truthz: http://www.sgforums.com/forums/1728/topics/419870?page=1
Ck: john, how to practise vipassana in daily life?
Thusness: just observe every sensation.
Thusness: until one day u are able to experience "emptiness as
form".
Thusness: then it becomes effortless.
Thusness: Truthz u cannot imagine the bliss when one clearly
experiences that.
Thusness: but there is no point to over stress anything.
Thusness:
Ck: Thusness just observe every sensation... give me an eg?
Thusness: when u breath, u don't have to care what is the right way
of breathing, whether u breath hard or soft, smooth or fine...just
experience as much clarity as u can...just that
experience...regardless of what it is like.
Thusness: same for all other experiences.
Ck: wot abt sound? hows it?
Thusness: when u hear, just the sound...the totality of the sound.
There is no how but just to do away with all abitrary thoughts. Hear
the sound as clear as u can be.
Ck: then wot abt thots?
Ck: thots r v sticky
Thusness: thoughts seldom arise if the practice is correct. If
it arises, then not to chase after its meaning. Not to answer
urself what it means, not to dwell in 'what'...then u will resort
to just the moment of awareness.
Ck: when i try to be just openly aware, i notice that i jump from
sense to sense
Ck: like one moment hearing, then touch, etc
Thusness: that is okie.
Thusness: our nature is so.
Ck: wots the rite way to do it
Thusness: don't think that u should concentrate.
Thusness: ur only duty is to sense with as much clarity as
possible.
Ck: and for all the sensations, i dun dwell in the 'what'?
Thusness: ur mind is looking for a way, a method
Thusness: but what that is needed is only the clarity.
Thusness: however because our mind is so molded and affect by our
habitual propensities, it becomes difficult what that is direct and
simple.
Thusness: just stop asking 'how', 'what', 'why'.
Thusness: and submerge into the moment.
Thusness: and experience.
Thusness: i prefer u to describe.
Thusness: not to ask how, what, why, when, where and who.
Thusness: only this is necessary.
Ck: ok
Thusness: if u practice immediately, u will understand.
Thusness: if u entertain who, what, where, when and how, u create
more propensities and dull ur own luminosity.
Ck: i shuffle btw self inquiry, observing sensations n thots, being
aware... its ok rite
Thusness: yes
Ck: means start work i'll hv even more propensities...
Thusness: that is when u do not understand what awareness, but it
is true to certain extend.
Partipant 1: If we don't note, does that mean we just sit and let everything just be?
Me: And sense the luminous clarity in every vivid arising. You have to be attentive and sort of zoom into the minutest details of every single sensation. Visual sensation, Auditory sensation, Nasal sensation, Taste sensation, Tactile sensation, Mental sensation.
Participant 1: What is luminous clarity exactly?
Me: Pause all thoughts and look at your palm. Don't think of a background, an observer, a self. Just what you see in direct experience. Isn't the shapes, colours, so vivid, so real, so clear? That is luminous clarity.
Participant 1: Hmmm...
Me: Don't 'Hmmm', just the obvious sensate reality shining fully in its immediacy!
Participant 1: I was looking. But it's nothing special. You said it like I can evoke wonder and awe in me just by looking. I was looking at it... then?
Me: It's not special when you look at the world through the 'lens' of an 'I'. There is still this deep clinging to an identity, a sense of self, that which separates 'I' from what I see. That must be dropped. What happens is apperception: you no longer feel like 'I' look at the world through my eyes, 'I' hear the world through my ears. Instead, poetically speaking, it is just sights seeing itself, sound hearing itself, there isn't an 'I' at the center separate from the vivid arising and perceiving them. When this 'I' is seen through and dropped, the vivid, luminous, alive quality of the sensate universe is revealed... when 'I' go into abeyance, it is as if everything 'stands out' bursting forth in brilliant aliveness, total intimacy and absence of separation.
Participant 1: But how do I practice this "technique"? To be able to sense luminous clarity, you have to remove the concept of a self through direct experience, but you speak as if I could do it now.
Me: There are two ways you can give rise to the insight of Anatta. One is like what Thusness said to Truthz: this is one type of gradual path. In that practice you basically have to pay attention to every felt sensation, feeling, perception, until apperception arises (where it is no longer 'I' seeing, but perception sees itself). A direct way of contemplating Anatta is like Bahiya Sutta style contemplation (http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2010/10/my-commentary-on-bahiya-sutta.html). Or contemplating on Ven Buddhaghosa verses on Anatta (http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2008/05/no-self-no-doer-conditionality.html), or the two stanzas of Anatta by Thusness (http://awakeningtoreality.blogspot.com/2009/03/on-anatta-emptiness-and-spontaneous.html)
Participant 1: What is the difference between Thusness's method of Vipassana and Mahasi Sayadaw's method of Vipassana? Both involves noting and observing sensations.
Me: No. Thusness's method does not involve noting. Noting is like labeling, noting things that arise. It is like within a cycle, how many sensations you can note, within 1 second, you note 'thinking, sound, taste, bird chirping, anger, gone, heart-beat, sound'... note every single arising as fast as possible, but through the noting you missed the immediate luminosity. Wheareas, Thusness's way is to deeply sense and penetrate into the minutest details of every point of luminous clarity.
Participant 1: So you stop labelling things and just observe?
Me: In Thusness's Vipassana method, yes. Just fully sense the minutest detail of this breath, the sensation of your feet, the cool breeze carressing your skin, the colours and shapes of your room. Everything sort of stands out in a pristine clarity you never noticed before. You might also experience details of the things you are seeing that you have missed out before. It can become very blissful.
Participant 1: What about the more direct ways like contemplation of Bahiya Sutta? In a way, I already know the intellectual "answer". What is there to ponder? Isn't following a train of thought in meditation discouraged?
Me: This is not just about an intellectual agreement. The contemplation is about finding out what 'in seeing just the seen', 'no hearer only hearing', etc actually mean or how it applies to direct experience. You have to experientially deconstruct the perception of an agent, perceiver, by contemplating those verses, then you realize that perception/sensation/sight itself is the seeing - there is no other seer. The seeing/seen happens of itself, all are self-luminous activities happening on their own accord. And there is, in seeing, only the seen, the self-luminous activity. I do not want to overcomplicate this and it appears I have been repeating myself... but you will come to see what this all is in direct experience.
Participant 2 joins in the conversation.
Participant 2: I had an experience once years ago. I didn't do any thing special that day or imbibe any drink that would make me different. I was sitting by the river, and I sensed everything sort of like acutely, and I can identify with the blissful bit. It happened just that once, but I could never get back that same bliss, even at the same spot by the river.
Me: Good. Is there a sense that you are no longer an 'I' here looking out through the eyes at the world out there, but now the scenery sees itself without any distance?
Participant 2: It seems like the sense of self is still there.
Me: What you experienced is the intensity of luminosity, but it has not gotten to the point where the construct and sense of self go into abeyance and apperception takes place - apperception meaning that sensate consciousness becomes aware of itself without being sullied by a sense of an external perceiver. But keep practicing and you will experience NDNCDIMOP (non-dual, non-conceptual, direct, immediate mode of perception) or PCE (pure consciousness experience).
Participant 1: I thought you said that (NDNCDIMOP/PCE) wasn't possible without having realized no-self directly?
Me: Not true. You can have temporary PCEs or NDNCDIMOP through mindfulness practice, or through a spontaneous event (the Actualism 'founder' Richard in fact goes to say that everybody has had such events occur to them in their lives, mostly in childhood, though not all can remember them). However, having a temporary NDNCDIMOP/PCE does not imply arising the insight into Anatta.
For example: You may have an experience of the sense of 'I' going temporarily into abeyance and apperception takes place, which is that mind consciousness, or sensate consciousness becomes aware of itself, and occurs by itself, without a thinker or perceiver.
However the insight of Anatta is different: it is the realization that 'in seeing always just the seen', 'in hearing always just the heard' - always already so! By nature so! Seeing IS the seen. There can be no doubt about this. This is the realization that results in a permanent shift of perception and isn't merely a temporary experience of apperception/NDNCDIMOP/PCE.
Now it should be noted that there are two paths that lead to realization of Anatta. The gradual path may develop and lengthen the NDNCDIMOP/PCE until a point of utter stability, then the realization follows/occurs. Whereas the direct path investigates and arises the insight much earlier, while stability only comes some time after the realization.
As an analogy, the gradual path is like polishing the mirror to reveal the luminosity. While the direct path aims for direct realization straight away.
Participant 2: At which stage will you know that you are freed from samsara?
Me: When you clear all ten fetters (which occurs progressively via the four stages to Arhantship), all clinging ceases. In the Hinayana path, this is their ultimate aim. Whereas for Mahayana practitioners, they aim further than that - nothing short of the omniscience of Buddhahood.
Participant 2: If you have not cleared the 10 fetters, what happens?
Me: If you attain Sotapanna (stream entry) enlightenment, your liberation from birth and death is assured to occur at most in 7 lifetimes. If you attain Sakadagami (once returner) enlightenment, your liberation from birth and death is assured in at most 1 more life. If you attain Anagami (non returner) enlightenment, your liberation is assured at most in 1 more life (if you do become reborn, you will attain birth in the celestial plane of the 4th Jhana pure abode, and attain liberation there - you will no longer return to the human realm). If you attain Arhantship, your birth and death is ended.
In short, as long as you have even the initial realization of Anatta and clears the first 3 fetters, you have attained Stream Entry (Sotapanna), and your Nirvana is assured as you have already entered into the irreversible conveyer belt (precisely the meaning of 'stream entry') into the freedom from the cycle of samsara.
Participant 1: The assurance of a pre-determined Nirvana is so attractive.
Me: It sure is, and I can assure you your effort will be worth every bit.
Normally when I am free I just play NMAMTF on MP3 player like during lunch.
I listened for some time then off.
Before I sleep I chant buddha name and sutra.
I will do insight meditation next time when I find a teacher to guide.
Wait go astray without teacher.
Sorry I used to think a meditation teacher is needed before one meditates.
my sister-in-law went to a meditation 2 day retreat (abt S$120 per pax), and the rinpoche was very humorous and taught simple meditation technique where one can meditate about anything. happiness can be meditated, sad can be meditated, angry can be meditated, bored can be meditated, pain can be meditated, envy can be meditated, arrogant can be meditated. even when ur mind is full of wandering thoughts also can be meditated. it's very useful for working people of today that even Jet Li, his wife and daughter were also there to learn.
Originally posted by sinweiy:my sister-in-law went to a meditation 2 day retreat (abt S$120 per pax), and the rinpoche was very humorous and taught simple meditation technique where one can meditate about anything. happiness can be meditated, sad can be meditated, angry can be meditated, bored can be meditated, pain can be meditated, envy can be meditated, arrogant can be meditated. even when ur mind is full of wandering thoughts also can be meditated. it's very useful for working people of today that even Jet Li, his wife and daughter were also there to learn.
Where got courses? Please recommend a place near west area of Singapore.
not sure. as the rinpoche that they learned from, said, he's returning to his country for a longer retreat in the mountain. he had a very good disciple who had learn from him and had very good memory, bit like Ananda. heard there's a very tough 7 day meditation retreat where student cannot eat! or perhaps had very very little food. and it's in a very small enclosed dark room where all the walls are black. that said in such an extreme circumstances of suffering, one is able to see the nature of the mind. but this one really need a guru to guide.
if u notice, there's this person (ZrQ#@rX) , recently changed, who once in a while will post information regarding tibetan buddhism.
could be, the Dark retreat:-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_retreat
ps: noted that one need to be serious when practicing with a true tibetan rinpoche. heard there were two students who later commit bad things/ break the precepts and were not serious/sincere. the rinpoche was so disappointed that he drop tears of blood. but the rinpoche treated it as planting a dharma seed for them.
wa.... 7 days without food/little food, i sure will be meditating on Food then. I not good enough to go.. Too advanced liao.
think should got technique to it.
for information only, Praetyka-Buddha can go without food for a month while arhat half a month. that's what they did when retreating in cave, meditating before coming out for alm. :)
Originally posted by sinweiy:my sister-in-law went to a meditation 2 day retreat (abt S$120 per pax), and the rinpoche was very humorous and taught simple meditation technique where one can meditate about anything. happiness can be meditated, sad can be meditated, angry can be meditated, bored can be meditated, pain can be meditated, envy can be meditated, arrogant can be meditated. even when ur mind is full of wandering thoughts also can be meditated. it's very useful for working people of today that even Jet Li, his wife and daughter were also there to learn.
is it Rinpoche with a M and a Y initial ? .. also rated one of the most happiest people on earth....
Originally posted by Almond Cookies:I chant buddha name and listened to chants on mp3.
I read heart sutra,diamond sutra and sutra of eight great realisation.
All very short and easy to read.
Am I practising correctly?
Good Good Sadhu Sadhu Sadhu ! :)
However, i don't think it is sufficient. I will encourage you to attend basic buddhism class or listen to more talks so that you have a better understanding of what you are chanting and building a good foundation of knowing what is buddhism.
Originally posted by Isis:
is it Rinpoche with a M and a Y initial ? .. also rated one of the most happiest people on earth....
indeed. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongey_Mingyur_Rinpoche
http://tergar.org/about/bio.shtml
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche possesses a rare ability to present the ancient wisdom of Tibet in a fresh, engaging manner. His profound yet accessible teachings and playful sense of humor have endeared him to students around the world. Most uniquely, Rinpoche’s teachings weave together his own personal experiences with modern scientific research, relating both to the practice of meditation.
/\
Originally posted by sinweiy:not sure. as the rinpoche that they learned from, said, he's returning to his country for a longer retreat in the mountain. if u notice, there's this person (ZrQ#@rX) , recently changed, who once in a while will post information regarding tibetan buddhism.
Singapore no mountain. What about those people with hindrances going to mountain for longer retreat? Esoteric Buddhism is supposed to be extremely high and there ought to have no restriction on site, places, ambience etc dwelling in meditation insight as it has merged with everything like lotus flower, like a family, like oneself. Purely non-dualistic.
Originally posted by Amitayus48:
Singapore no mountain. What about those people with hindrances going to mountain for longer retreat? Esoteric Buddhism is supposed to be extremely high and there ought to have no restriction on site, places, ambience etc dwelling in meditation insight as it has merged with everything like lotus flower, like a family, like oneself. Purely non-dualistic.
ya mount faber no cave. :)
true. Esoteric Buddhism is like a white cloth dip in colored dye yet still remain white. eventually it's to practice purity amidst impurity. it's an advance method in purification. i guess it's a bit contradicing that Esoteric Buddhism is more established in a rural Tibet. perhaps to get to such level, need a calmer place to practice first. like we purelanders also go to pureland first to practice before returning to samsara.
though the dark "room" is a make do skillful mean in a urban area.
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there's also another even tougher nianfo, circulating Buddha 绕佛 meditation method in Avatamsaka sutra known as 般舟三昧 or 佛力三昧 practiced by 德云比丘(圆教处� bodhisattva).
solely enclose for 90 days cannot sleep, cannot sit! just keep on nianfo, while circulating the Buddha 绕佛. but...can eat a little.
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