It has evolved to the following nuancing currently:
1. Renewing Vows - Repentance, Bodhisattva Vows and Rebirth Aspiration
2. Reciting Amituofo - 10 recitation method
3. Illuminating Silence - Staying present for a short while, with breath &/or sounds as anchors
4. Dedications of Merits
5. Reading - For weekend evening practice, I would try to end with a short article.
End of formal practice. Steps back into the busy and chaotic Daily Life:
6. Conscious Pause: It is easy to underestimate the extent of our waking sleep. Occasionally, I become aware of my waking sleep, but usually I will just fall back into the waking sleep immediately. So the practice here to make the intention to stay conscious for a while more.
7. Transforming Negativities - During the day, I try to watch out for the manifestation of negative emotions, recognise, refrain, and feeling the physical discomfort, relax into the present moment. I find the quote "like a dream; like an illusion" very helpful.
And just today, when I slipped into an well grooved habitual anger pattern, and when I recognised what was going on, I started to lament "I should be beyond this by now", and then a question popped into my mind like a koan, "who should be beyond this?", ha-ha a tiny moment of insight for me and I laughed quietly to myself at my folly...
Tendency to slip back into old negative habitual energies remains strong. To motivate my practice I need to now and then remind myself of the preciousness of this human life:
8. Reminding Precious Human Life - The Tibetan Quote is still very helpful - "Tomorrow or next life. Which comes first, I don't know."
May all of us continue to enjoy our practice and be well and happy.
Amituofo. =)
