Updated Daily Practice Routine

Been absent for a while...

So many happenings...

It has evolved to the following nuancing currently:

1. Recite King of Prayers - To re-commit myself to Pure land Rebirth Aspiration
2. Do Confession of Downfall Prostrations to 35 Buddhas - For Daily Purification
3. Recite Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga - Daily Lam Rim Prayer
4. Recite Guru Rinpoche Mantra - Dedicate to the success of the Maitreya Project
5. Illuminating Silence - Resting in Openness of Mind for short while, with body-breath as anchor

End of formal practice.  For the rest of my busy and chaotic Daily Life:

6. Conscious Pause to access Presence - Release storyline, Relax & Rest in Openness of Mind.

7. Developing Patience - Recognise danger of following negative emotions, Recall Karmic Causality, Remember (1) self-cherishing only causes suffering, (2) my wish to benefit others, and (3) the transitory & illusory nature of all mental events

8. Transforming Perspective - Do Tonglen (1) Quietly breathe in hurt & pain on behalf of others, (2) breathe out benefit & joy to others  

 May all of us continue to enjoy our practice and be well and happy.
Amituofo. =)

No need to do anything about the emotion, it will go away

I am using the 3R technique when practicing with emotions...

sometimes when the emotion is strong, I struggled, found it hard to refrain from the storyline, found it hard to just return to the physical moment... struggling back and forth back and forth

today as I was struggling with this particular emotion, it dawned on me there is nothing to do, there was absolutely nothing to do, forget about the methods and techniques and 3R...

little insight on impermanence, in this case, the impermanent nature of our emotions, they come and go...

nothing has changed actually, yet...

a little smile on my face =)

Amituofo.

Reflection on the 4 Reminders

The 4 Reminders are preliminary practices in the Tibetan Tradition.  I have found them incredibly useful in reminding myself the importance and urgency of Dharma practice on a daily basis.

1. Precious Human Rebirth
2. Impermanence
3. Karma
4. Samsara

1. On our precious human rebirth, especially after reading Lama Zopa Rinpoche's book, I feel immensely grateful for the precious human rebirth, having the 8 freedoms and 10 richness, and knowing therefore how difficult it is to obtain such a rebirth. This is the first message of the urgency of practice.

2. On impermanence, the Tibetan saying comes to my mind, "Tomorrow or next life, which comes first I don't know." Impermanence reinforces the message, highlighting the fragility of the human life.

3. On Karma, understanding that we are having this lifetime must be due to diligent efforts made in past lives, and that without diligent efforts this lifetime, causes to encounter the Dharma will not be created for future lives. Meaning if I waste this precious opportunity to do Dharma practice, I am not just wasting this one lifetime, but that I am potentially squandering countless past lives' efforts as well as future lives. Much more is at stake than I can imagine.

4. On Samsara, understanding the nature of Samsara is suffering. If I do not practice then untold suffering awaits in future lives.

All these comes together as:
1. Being grateful for this precious human rebirth
2. Wishing that my life & practice will be of benefit to all
3. Reinforcing my aspiration for rebirth in Amituofo Pure Land

The Perfect Human Rebirth

Just read the book: The Perfect Human Rebirth by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Highly recommended to recharge our motivation to do Dharma Practice as it will remind us of the preciousness of the perfect human rebirth and not to waste this precious opportunity to practice.

This quote from within the book sums it up:

When we understand the freedoms and richness we have with this perfect human rebirth and how difficult it is to find this life again, there is no way we can feel any comfort unless we are practicing Dharma.

General Reflection after reading:

1. To waste this precious human rebirth is to squander the efforts of past, present life and future lives.
2. Grateful for this perfect human rebirth, I pray that may my life be of benefit to all beings.

Specific Reflection for practitioners like me seeking Pure Land rebirth:

4. Core daily practice must revolve around daily reminder of re-birth aspiration.

I vow that, along with other Pure Land cultivators,
I will be reborn in the Land of Ultimate Bliss,
See Amituofo, escape Birth and Death,
And rescue all, as the Buddha does.

5. Dedication of Merit to all beings.

May the merit and virtue accrued from this work adorn Amituofo Pure land,
repay the four great kindness above,
and relieve the suffering of those on the three paths below.

May those who see or hear of these efforts generate the Bodhi-mind,
spend their lives devoted to the Buddha Dharma,
and finally be reborn together in the land of Ultimate Bliss. Amituofo.

Both reflections done under the following context:

3. Tomorrow or next life which comes first, I don't know.

Latest naunce of my daily practice routine

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. =)

Lucid Dream

Had a  lucid dream last night.  Haven't had one for quite a while.
Had two interesting experiences in that dream.

First was spiritual.
Having became lucid, I tried to see what happens when I chant Amituofo.
The sky was suddenly filled with thousands of golden shining Amituofo.
Was awed and inspired.
Amituofo.

Second was more mundane.
Yesterday evening was reading a book on gravity with my son.
So I played with gravity a little.
Just need to "de-gravity" objects I looked at, and the object floated.
E.g. when I looked at cars, they flipped into the sky without gravity.
Interesting ha-ha

But this all lasted for a short time only, I later on slipped back unconscious into the dream again...

Recognize, Refrain, Return

A particular nuance:

1. Recognize that I am caught in a self-centred dream
2. Holding onto the self-centred thoughts, exactly the dream! - Refrain
3. Return to the mind before thinking - Only go straight Don't Know...

Sometimes when I am caught in a strong emotion, even with recognition that I am caught in an emotion, it is not exactly easy to refrain from holding onto the thoughts (e.g. angry thoughts) because they seem so solid, so real and so juicy!

It is therefore helpful to remind that I am caught in a self-centred dream.
Or to remind myself that this is "like a dream, an illusion, a bubble, a reflection" (as extracted from a line from the diamond sutra.
Such reminders can help to put the emotional outburst into a more balanced perspective and makes it easier for me to transit from recognize to refrain and returning to the here and now.

May all of us continue to enjoy our practice and be well and happy.
Amituofo. =)

Update on My Daily Practice Routine

It has evolved to the following nuancing currently:

1. Renewing Vows - Rebirth Aspiration
2. Reciting Amituofo - One round of 108 chanting beads
3. Illuminating Silence - Staying in presence for a short while, with breath & sounds as anchors
4. Dedications of Merits
5. Reading/Listening to Dharma Talk - For evening practice, I would normally end with reading a short article or listening to a dharma talk on YouTube.

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, one useful technique is the "three breaths practice" where I commit to staying aware for three full breaths, with the breath as anchor.

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

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 very helpful - "Tomorrow or next life. Which comes first, I don't know."

9. Reflecting on my dual practice of Chan & Pure Land:
Chan practice guides me on the way of life;
Pure land faith provides me with the purpose of this lifetime

May all of us continue to enjoy our practice and be well and happy.
Amituofo. =)

My Daily Practice Menu

Simply This.

Conversation between Patrul Rinpoche and Nyoshul Lungtok.

High up in the mountains above Dzogchen Monastery, it was a beautiful night. The dark blue sky was clear and the stars shone brilliantly.  The sound of the solitude was heightened by the distant barking of dogs from the monastery below.

Rinpoche:  Do you see the stars up there in the sky?

Nyoshul:   Yes.

Rinpoche: Do you hear the dogs barking?

Nyoshul:   Yes.

Rinpoche: Do you hear what I am saying to you?

Nyoshul:   Yes.

Rinpoche: Well, the nature of Dzogchen is this: simply this.  

A tibetian saying that i had been holding close to my heart in recent weeks

"Tomorrow or Next Life, which comes first, I don't know."

Amazing quote that inspires me to maintain some form of spiritual practice on a daily basis.
The lessons of impermanence, mortality, karma as well as the preciousness of our human life, comes to my mind when I recall the quote, which makes it such a great spiritual reminder.

1. Coming & going, such is our human life.  I know, at least at the intellectual level, that I can actually attain nothing, with nothing to attain at all in this life, where life is really but a dream.  But yet I can get so serious, so caught up in my self-centred dreams, most of the time. 

2. Before I know it, this dream is over, and will descend into the next dream (next life begins)... A great master said, "If you want to know your next life, look at your present actions." And yet most of the time I don't pay attention to my actions, and without the light of consciousness, they become habits and habits become my character and will eventually shape my next life...

3. So this quote is a great reminder to do something, right now! While I still have the chance! Don't leave it to tomorrow, it may be too late!

4. So morning and night, despite being tired (struggling to get up to work or struggling not to fall asleep in the evening) I tell myself, wake up wake up, Om Mani Peme Hung x108!

5. Don't waste this wonderful opportunity to rest in our unborn Buddha Mind, sitting quietly, breathing in, breathing out, birds chirping, crickets calling, cars zooming past in the background, being just this moment...

6. Finally don't forget about my aspiration to seek rebirth in the Blissful Pure Land in the next life! Amituofo x10!

May all of us be well and happy always, remember to rest in our unborn Buddha Mind, wake up and be free from suffering!

Amituofo.

    

Three spiritual books that have influenced me the most

1. The compass of Zen by Zen Master Seung Sahn - the teachings of Master Seung Sahn started me on the path of Zen, his teaching of 'don't know mind' continues to be my spiritual compass. The core of his teaching is always the essence of Mahayana Buddhism - "how do we wake up and help this world? The point of meditation practice is to help us realise our original nature so that we can help everyone be free from suffering".  And he always extorts us "from moment to moment only go straight don't know, which is clear like space, try, try, try for ten thousand years, nonstop, get enlightenment and save all beings from suffering".  I bow in appreciation of the deep teachings of this great Bodhisattva.  I continue to practice under his Zen school in Singapore.

2. Being Zen by Ezra Bayda - teachings of him and other teachers from the Ordinary Mind Zen School, and noteworthy Gregg Howard, whom I studied with during one recent one year stay in Brisbane, have always focused on integrating Zen with the realities of everyday living.  Their teaching have enabled me to close the gap between sitting on the cushion and dealing with the messiness of my everyday life.  Working with emotional distress and everyday difficulties has become my core practice and is very meaningful and transformational.  I am eternally grateful to Ezra and Gregg for helping me integrate Zen into my life, moment to moment.

3. The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche - While Zen came into my life since my late teens, Tibetan Buddhist and Pure Land teachings came into my life in a profound manner only recently in my mid-thirties.  Reading this book profoundly influenced the direction of my spiritual practice because it revolutionise the whole way I look at death and afterlife.  Previously I was not ready to contemplate meaningfully about death and afterlife, for the earlier part of my life, raised in a family grounded in modern science thinking and not believing in afterlife, made me not take this topic too seriously.  After many years of Zen practice as well as old age catching up on me, while Zen does not touch on much on this topic, but interestingly I think, meditation practice has subtly open my mind space and made my mind more receptive to the kind of teachings in the Tibetan book of living and dying.  Reflecting on these teachings, I have adopted the dual practice of Zen and Pure Land, meaning while I continue Zen practice, I also aspire to rebirth in the Blissful Pure Land after this life.  Deep gratitude to Sogyal Rinpoche, Tulku Thondup (author of Peaceful Death, Joyful Rebirth) and Jing4 Kong1 Fa3 Shi1 for this aspect of spiritual practice.  Essentially this practice means aspring to rebirth in a place which will be very conducive for continued spiritual practice (a pure land).  To me, this seems a natural extension to my current spiritual practice.

5 Minutes Condensed Practice

Recently, when days are busy, I find myself increasingly turning to this condensed practice to meet daily routine requirements.

1. 108 Om Mani Padme Hum - Chosen this mantra partly due to my karmic affinity with Kwan Yin Pusa, and that this mantra is known to help purify negative emotions, bad karma and to generate positive energy.
2. Sitting Quietly for a Short While - Not using any particular method, not doing anything in particular, just quietly sitting, thoughts and emotions, birds chirping and cars zooming, whatever that arises, come and go, not questioning whether am I in the "correct state" or not, not excluding anything, not holding onto anything...
3. Ten Recitation of Amituofo - Re-commit to my aspiration to seek rebirth in Pure land, followed ten recitation of Amituofo. Finally end the practice with the dedication of merits.

Feeling the Presence of Amituofo

You should try to say the name-prayer of the Buddha of Infinite Light (Amituofo) one hundred times a day with strong devotion.  Then try to increase it.  If you could keep doing more and more, a time might come for you that whatever you are doing, you will always be with the name of the Buddha in your breath and the feeling of his presence in your mind.  If that happens, then when you die, you will die with the name of the Buddha and the feelings of his presence.  If that happens, as soon as you die, because of the merits, the blessings of the Buddha and your devotional habits, all your perceptions will arise as the Blissful Pure Land of the Buddha of Infinite Light.  Your future will be in peace and happiness. You will become a source of benefit for many others.  Isn't it wonderful!

~Yukhog Chatralwa (a Tibetan Master)

Merry X'mas & a Happy New Year to all my dear friends out there.
I pray that this X'mas will be, for you,
a cheerful ending to 2014 and a great beginning to a happy 2015.

Re-affirming my commitment to the daily practice menu for 2015, (1) renew my vows; (2) recite Amituofo (ten-recitation-method); (3) short sittings (method of no-method); (4) work with negative emotions (3R method); and (5) to take pauses.

May all of us continue to enjoy our practice and be well and happy.
Amituofo. =)

Unborn Buddha Mind

Re-reading an old book: Bankei Zen.

Great teachings from an 17th century Japanese Zen Master! 
His teachings remain relevant and refreshing to today's world.
The essence of his teaching is on the Unborn Buddha Mind.
It reminds me of Master Seung Sahn's "Don't Know Mind" very much =)

His teaching emphasised that there is no need to attain the Buddha Mind (we cannot attain it actually, as it is unborn) since it is always with us, always available, in the here and the now...

...as you are all turned this way listening to me talk, if out back there's the cawing of crows, the chirping of sparrows or the rustling of the wind - you hear them without making any mistake about them, and that's what is called hearing with the Unborn...

...the Buddha Mind is like a bright mirror.  It reflects whatever is in front of it. It is not deliberately trying to reflect things...

...whether you are going to be deluded or you're not going to, all depends on the present state of your mind...

This brings to my mind also the practice of shikantaza, which also involves effortless and choiceless awareness, all that is required is "opening the hand of thought" ( I quote Uchiyama Roshi) and returning to the present moment, the here and the now, where without any effort or choice, we see, hear, smell, taste and touch...

 May all of us continue to enjoy our practice and be well and happy.
Amituofo. =)

The Magic of Awareness

Recently just completed reading this book "The Magic of Awareness" by Anam Thubten.
Rinpoche speaks with great clarity on the central theme that enlightenment is always available to us in the most ordinary of moments.

One nice para lifted from the book:

When we know how to give rise to this gentle heart (be kind to ourselves), then we are not in a hurry and we no longer have to be antagonistic to ourselves...  We are already Buddha, yet there is compassion toward this temporary dream of duality.  This dream is not going to last eternally.  Believe it or not, the universe will provide us with much magic and many miracles to help us wake up. All dreams come to an end.  It's just a matter of time.

Another nice para:

Whatever helps us become aware of the naturally transcendent state of who we are is the right method, the right technique... Whatever works is the right method.  The method doesn't have to be Buddhist and it doesn't have to be complicated.  It can be so simple that, perhaps, all we need to do is pause periodically.  Perhaps we simply become aware of our breath, or remember some sacred verses now and then.  We may not even need to recite those verses.  Sometimes all we need to do is to remember them.

Highly recommend this book =)

Reflection & Commitment

Came back from Australia for more than 3 months.

When I came back, brought back a relatively serene and calm mind (relative to before departure), after 3 months back in the very hectic lifestyle and work requirements in Singapore, I think the remaining residue of that serene and calm energy now all but dissipated ha-ha =P

Since coming back, have missed the daily 1/2 hour sittings, weekend 2/1/2 hours sitting with Greg and company, and monthly 1 day retreats...

On reflection, without the "calm energy", mindfulness in daily life as well as awareness of my emotions have diminished resulting in being pulled around by my habitual tendencies as well as negative emotions a lot more than the "norm" in Australia.

Reflected recently on the situation.

Reflected on (1) the rare opportunity of this human life and the opportunity to practice; (2) impermanence; and (3) karma.

Re-affirmed my commitment to the dual practice of chan and pure land.

Re-affirmed my commitment to the daily practice menu set out in August, (1) renewing my vows; (2) reciting Amituofo through the ten-recitation-method; (3) Illuminating silence through short sittings; (4) paying attention to my negative emotions; and (5) to take pauses during my everyday living.

 May all of us continue to enjoy our practice and be well and happy.
Amituofo. =)

My Daily Practice Menu

A dance alternating between awareness and unawareness

One perspective on my practice, is that it is a dance, alternating between awareness and unawareness.

Walking...
breathing in breathing out...
trees swaying, breeze gently blowing on my skin...

Walking...
thinking about my presentation tomorrow...
worrying about another issue at work...

Walking...
A bee buzzing across my head buzzZZ!
feeling the physical sensations of being startled...


 May all of us continue to enjoy our practice and be well and happy.
Amituofo. =)

Basic Buddhism 101

When we first come across the teachings, one basic teaching was this:

Avoid Causing Harm; Do Good; Purify the Mind; This is the Teachings of All Buddhas

It previously came across to me as common sense but vague.

It is only recently that it dawned on me how relevant this is to my everyday practice, in fact it offers a sound framework for my everyday practice.

Avoid Causing Harm

Everyday I cause harm to myself and others when I get caught in my self-centred emotions.  Driven by negative emotions such as anger, unkind speech and action unfolds.  My practice (as already elaborated in previous posts) is to recognise and refrain from following the self centred storylines and to return to feeling the uncomfortable sensations, grounded in the present moment. 

Simple practice but not easy.  Through this practice, I have come to realise how deep my habitual tendencies run.  This is truly a lifelong practice.

 Do Good

When I am not caught up in my self-centred emotions and thinking, it becomes possible to do good.  Nothing spectacular.  I am talking about gentle words and acts in our everyday life, about touching deeply the life that is available in the present moment.  Saying good morning to the bus driver, giving up seat to a elderly auntie, buying tissue from the blind uncle, thanking and encouraging my staff for their effort at work, and smiling lovingly to my wife and son.

Again simple but not easy.  How often I am caught up in some self-centred dream and fail to touch deeply the life that is available in the here and the now.

Purify the Mind

This part serves to remind me to take pauses throughout the day, as and when possible.  Other than formal sitting practices in the early morning and late evening, I just need to notice pauses in between discrete events in everyday life.  There are plenty of opportunities if I stay mindful.  Like during the morning bus ride, like when queuing up for food during breakfast and lunch, like when first stepping into office, sitting down and waiting for the computer to power up.  There are many other little moments when I can pause and press 'control alternate delete' button for my mind.  Put aside all thinking and just pause to enjoy my breathing in and breathing out.

May all of us continue to enjoy our practice and be well and happy.
Amituofo. =)