It has been so many years since I first learnt "King of Prayers" and attended my first Vajrasattva retreat from Venerable Thubten Chodron at kmspks/Dabei and her subsequent sessions of Shantideva's "Engaging in Bodhisattva 's deeds".
This year is on "Joyous effort", a good one for laxing me...
Some pointers:
Practice Like saying prayers of Aspirations Bodhicitta, is like planting seeds just like practise musical instruments till it gets better.
We may have doubt though reciting the great aspirations but can we really realise or materialise it?
Venerable assures we are now creating new good habits.
Even if it is hard and takes a long time, it is Okay as we are in right direction.
Rejoice that we met a path that works vs people who did not meet the Dharma or did not practice.
We are able to Distinguish between virtues and non virtues.
We try to get out of samsara of suffering.
We listen , integrate and contemplate.
Transforming our mind from... Ignorance, anger and attachments, greed, non virtues
Into...
love, compassion, bodhicitta...
How do we transform?
story of Lama teacher to Comment on a devotee to practice Dharma.
Circumambulate...prostration... Reciting text....
( one may be doing so physically but mind may be thinking about having ice-cream after the practice, etc)
~ transforming mind...
Not just physical action but motivation to make our mind virtuous...
( eg. change thought of overcoming anger over an event )
Mind becomes more peaceful..
Be happy...
Every being including flies, cockroaches, our adversity enemy has Buddha nature and can awaken.
Buddha is no liar so we do all have Buddha nature and not hopeless or special exception who does not have Buddha nature.
We can distinguish what is wholesome and beneficial.
And we can decide how to practice and move in right way.
In practising Dharma, there may be some discomfort but it is all for good of getting enlightenment.
Eg. in sitting meditation, we may experience body pain but the pain is worth it for us to bear to practice better.
It is interesting that with vision of pay-check, we will make effort to wake up early to work Or study, but when to wake up early for meditation, we may tend to postpone... :-p
On practice of generosity, a stingy person may train from giving from one hand to another till gradually to another persons'.; -)
Start from give food till flesh..._/|\_
Hmm, recommend to get the DVD on this 2 nights' teaching to revise...
A lot to contemplate till next year next chapter...
Am really Grateful towards the various teachers that I met and learnt from over the years....
AMITUOFO _/|\_
OM MANI PADME HUM _/|\_
