| Points of Practice |
1) Before you begin practicing Buddhism ask yourself what Buddhism is and why you
want to practice it. Later, if you become a practicing Buddhist, you will find that right
motivation is essential to all elements of the Buddhist life. In fact there is no Buddhist life
without right motivation.
2) Discipline yourself. Work with a plan. Have time allotted for meditation and study and
stick to it without clinging unreasonably. If a time conflict arises because of a necessary
appointment, adjust your schedule to accommodate it, and make up the time missed for
practice later.
3) Be kind to others because you are a kind person; and know that being kind to others
does not mean you are a kind person. This will require a lot of work.
4) Seemingly “new” obstacles appear as soon as a serious practice is begun. Know that
these obstacles are not new at all, but only your awareness of them is new. As the saying
goes: “The Buddha grows a foot, and the demon is already ten feet tall.”
5) First understand the consequences of wrong ways and then abandon them.
6) Practice a completely balanced path. Meditation, study, yoga, kindness, compassion,
sympathetic joy, generosity, patience, energy, moral and ethical discipline, etc., all equally
illumine the Path. Because this is so, our active world is a potent source of spiritual insight.
7) Sincerity will draw out the Buddha’s compassion even if your practice is incorrect. Do
not be afraid to begin because you are not sure how. Be sincere and apply great effort; your
practice may not seem right and indeed may not be right; but will become right if your heart is
right. Believe in yourself.
8) The full lotus posture is the most symmetrical posture for meditation; but it is not
essential. If full lotus is difficult for you, try to overcome the difficulty by practice. If after some
months of stretching and enduring pain the posture is not yet natural; adopt a posture that is
comfortable with the spine straight.
9) Eat right. Food can be very entertaining; but shouldn't’t be. We should eat food that is
nourishing and eat it with mindfulness and thanksgiving. Always stop before being quiet full
as this promotes digestions and prevents sluggishness. Avoid those foods which lead to
heaviness and torpor.
10) Sleep is an “unfixed dharma” and as such there is no amount that is right for
everyone. Discover your needs and avoid unnecessary sleep. Remember that false thinking
makes you tired.
11) Meditation often seems to bring out the worst in us; often causing novices to think
they were better off before they started. But, the fact is that meditation just brings the worst to
the surface where we can see it. It is this seeing that is so vital to overcoming disturbing
emotions and other faults.
12) Desires of all kinds, particularly sexual desire, must be disciplined. This is how they
are brought into the Path. Harnessing our desires, rather than following after them, is very
empowering.
13) Buddhist and Hindu scriptures taught Tantra as a means to enhance Samadhi, the
trance of great yogis often accompanied by long periods of breathlessness. For most great
yogis a physical partner is unnecessary; but is occasionally prescribed for great yogis who
had already cut off common sexual desire.
14) Tantra as taught in the New Age community is a simple fraud. Within each individual
are male and female energies. It is these energies that genuine Tantra aims at uniting. In
stillness, examine the active, thinking, aggressive side, and the passive feeling, receptive
side of your own mind. Uniting these is Tantra.
15) Do not try to get off cheap. Practicing the dharma requires tremendous sacrifice.
16) Make vows you can keep. Negative action that violates a vow bear heavier
consequences than if the vow had never been made. Typical vows discipline sexual activity,
eating, sleep, entertainment and other sources of energy outflows. Make vows for short
periods of time and gradually lengthen the time.
17) Beware of the person who is trying to help you. Good teachers are tight lipped.
Those offering unsolicited advice generally are more interested in displaying their knowledge
than benefiting anyone. Great knowledge whispers.
18) Do not place too much importance on uncommon mental states and mistake them as
signs of genuine achievement. Some individuals have many experiences while meditating,
while others have none. The absence or abundance of visions, etc is not indicative of
achievement.
19) Objects seem to bring happiness, but it is really the mind that empowers them. That
is why some objects bring happiness to some, but not others. This being the case, stop
empowering objects with your mind.
20) The mind naturally turning inward is an early sign of progress.
21) Achievement is relative. Don’t worry about how little achievement you have
(compared to others), but only how your failure to recognize opportunity.
22) Buddhist practice makes the saintly more so and the worldly less so.
23) The Buddha is an “equal opportunity employer.” There is no high or low in
Buddhism. Anyone can practice Buddhism.
24) If you think that you have had a spiritual experience, seek out a genuine master to
certify it before accepting it as such.
25) In the beginning the contrast between spiritual practice and worldly activity is very
clear; but as years move along they become the same.
26) Beware of "The Self-proclaimed Enlightened Ones." These are "teachers" who have
no lineage, profess great insight, and yet their insight is only verified by themselves.
27) Popularity is no indication whatsoever the worth of a "teacher." Truly great music has
relatively few fans.
28) There are two kinds of monk: those who earn their rice and those who don't. Don't
be fooled by the robe.
29) The Buddhist "Three year retreat" does not come with a guarantee. The county jail
has many in retreat, too.
30) The so called power of "Now" is a naive attempt to leapfrog karma and be in a
blissful present. Karma gets a big laugh out of this. This New Age idea is not to be confused
with Zen, Chan, Dzogchen, or other Buddhist schools of "Sudden Enlightenment."
31) Better to study the authenticate teachings of the Buddha with friends; than follow a
teacher with no credentials and whose understanding is not certified.
32) You will know you are making progress when you realize that you are a
beginner------ after years of practice.
33) Never assume you are a Buddhist just because you study Buddhism and practice
Buddhist meditation etc. Attaching to the form of a practice can become a bigger obstruction
than not practicing at all.
34) Make offerings to great teachers---even if they are far away. You will feel the benefit
of your sacrifice in meditation.
35) If you wear the robe of a monk or nun, earn it or return it.
36) If you think you do not have time for a daily practice, think again.
37) If you cannot find complete happiness inside, where will you find it?
38) If you don't practice and think you are happy, think again.
39) The Buddha is an Equal Opportunity Employer; all beings can practice Buddhism.
Make a sincere application of effort and the Buddha will take care of the rest.
40) Some people say Karma doesn't matter; Karma says some people don't matter.
41) If you find yourself stagnating in a practice; don't blame the practice. Renew your
energy and focus and try scrutinize your attitude toward your practice. Make sure that subtle
attachment to the form of your practice is not undermining your effort.
42) Results come when they are earned. Be happy in the practice itself. It takes time for
your practice to mirror the mind's nature.
43) Don't sell the Dharma.
44) Don't buy the Dharma.
45) Keep your practice to yourself unless asked specifically about it. Do not talk about
the Dharma casually or at inappropriate times.
46) Learn to practice during the many idle moments of the day. Keep a thread of self
awareness alive as much as possible throughout the day. This way when you do sit down to
meditate you will focus immediately with few scattered thoughts to push aside.
47) Happiness is not lots of sparkling white teeth bursting between lips.
48) Never say you don't care what others think, because you do care; it is demonstrated
by your denial.
49) If you care what others think; ask yourself if you should care. Assess the value of
other opinions. Cultivate friendships that will help you develop inner understanding and avoid
those that don't.
50) Vegetarianism is an aid to practice but it does not necessarily make you a better
Buddhist than one who isn't. The important thing is deep compassion.
51) Buddha is as Buddha does; you are as you do.
52) The Buddhist scholar without experience is like a virgin gynecologist. Experiential
realization is the culmination of a practice that balances study and meditation.
53) Beware of too much intelligence. You can't cheat the Buddha.
54) Skill in logic and debate must be balanced with the cultivation of virtue and merit.
Debating skills that are not founded on a moral, virtuous, and ethical foundation cannot
resolve the afflictions.
55) Cultivate the path you understand; even if it is not regarded as the "Supreme." If you
are building a house and are unskilled in the use of power tools, you will do a better job using
tools you know how to use---even though a more skilled craftsman may do better with the
more advanced tools.
56) Life is fatal; there is no cure. Therefore strive to know yourself
57) Meaningful words are seldom many.
58) A penny on the track is not going to stop the freight train of karma.
59) If you want to become enlightened you must first make yourself available.
want to practice it. Later, if you become a practicing Buddhist, you will find that right
motivation is essential to all elements of the Buddhist life. In fact there is no Buddhist life
without right motivation.
2) Discipline yourself. Work with a plan. Have time allotted for meditation and study and
stick to it without clinging unreasonably. If a time conflict arises because of a necessary
appointment, adjust your schedule to accommodate it, and make up the time missed for
practice later.
3) Be kind to others because you are a kind person; and know that being kind to others
does not mean you are a kind person. This will require a lot of work.
4) Seemingly “new” obstacles appear as soon as a serious practice is begun. Know that
these obstacles are not new at all, but only your awareness of them is new. As the saying
goes: “The Buddha grows a foot, and the demon is already ten feet tall.”
5) First understand the consequences of wrong ways and then abandon them.
6) Practice a completely balanced path. Meditation, study, yoga, kindness, compassion,
sympathetic joy, generosity, patience, energy, moral and ethical discipline, etc., all equally
illumine the Path. Because this is so, our active world is a potent source of spiritual insight.
7) Sincerity will draw out the Buddha’s compassion even if your practice is incorrect. Do
not be afraid to begin because you are not sure how. Be sincere and apply great effort; your
practice may not seem right and indeed may not be right; but will become right if your heart is
right. Believe in yourself.
8) The full lotus posture is the most symmetrical posture for meditation; but it is not
essential. If full lotus is difficult for you, try to overcome the difficulty by practice. If after some
months of stretching and enduring pain the posture is not yet natural; adopt a posture that is
comfortable with the spine straight.
9) Eat right. Food can be very entertaining; but shouldn't’t be. We should eat food that is
nourishing and eat it with mindfulness and thanksgiving. Always stop before being quiet full
as this promotes digestions and prevents sluggishness. Avoid those foods which lead to
heaviness and torpor.
10) Sleep is an “unfixed dharma” and as such there is no amount that is right for
everyone. Discover your needs and avoid unnecessary sleep. Remember that false thinking
makes you tired.
11) Meditation often seems to bring out the worst in us; often causing novices to think
they were better off before they started. But, the fact is that meditation just brings the worst to
the surface where we can see it. It is this seeing that is so vital to overcoming disturbing
emotions and other faults.
12) Desires of all kinds, particularly sexual desire, must be disciplined. This is how they
are brought into the Path. Harnessing our desires, rather than following after them, is very
empowering.
13) Buddhist and Hindu scriptures taught Tantra as a means to enhance Samadhi, the
trance of great yogis often accompanied by long periods of breathlessness. For most great
yogis a physical partner is unnecessary; but is occasionally prescribed for great yogis who
had already cut off common sexual desire.
14) Tantra as taught in the New Age community is a simple fraud. Within each individual
are male and female energies. It is these energies that genuine Tantra aims at uniting. In
stillness, examine the active, thinking, aggressive side, and the passive feeling, receptive
side of your own mind. Uniting these is Tantra.
15) Do not try to get off cheap. Practicing the dharma requires tremendous sacrifice.
16) Make vows you can keep. Negative action that violates a vow bear heavier
consequences than if the vow had never been made. Typical vows discipline sexual activity,
eating, sleep, entertainment and other sources of energy outflows. Make vows for short
periods of time and gradually lengthen the time.
17) Beware of the person who is trying to help you. Good teachers are tight lipped.
Those offering unsolicited advice generally are more interested in displaying their knowledge
than benefiting anyone. Great knowledge whispers.
18) Do not place too much importance on uncommon mental states and mistake them as
signs of genuine achievement. Some individuals have many experiences while meditating,
while others have none. The absence or abundance of visions, etc is not indicative of
achievement.
19) Objects seem to bring happiness, but it is really the mind that empowers them. That
is why some objects bring happiness to some, but not others. This being the case, stop
empowering objects with your mind.
20) The mind naturally turning inward is an early sign of progress.
21) Achievement is relative. Don’t worry about how little achievement you have
(compared to others), but only how your failure to recognize opportunity.
22) Buddhist practice makes the saintly more so and the worldly less so.
23) The Buddha is an “equal opportunity employer.” There is no high or low in
Buddhism. Anyone can practice Buddhism.
24) If you think that you have had a spiritual experience, seek out a genuine master to
certify it before accepting it as such.
25) In the beginning the contrast between spiritual practice and worldly activity is very
clear; but as years move along they become the same.
26) Beware of "The Self-proclaimed Enlightened Ones." These are "teachers" who have
no lineage, profess great insight, and yet their insight is only verified by themselves.
27) Popularity is no indication whatsoever the worth of a "teacher." Truly great music has
relatively few fans.
28) There are two kinds of monk: those who earn their rice and those who don't. Don't
be fooled by the robe.
29) The Buddhist "Three year retreat" does not come with a guarantee. The county jail
has many in retreat, too.
30) The so called power of "Now" is a naive attempt to leapfrog karma and be in a
blissful present. Karma gets a big laugh out of this. This New Age idea is not to be confused
with Zen, Chan, Dzogchen, or other Buddhist schools of "Sudden Enlightenment."
31) Better to study the authenticate teachings of the Buddha with friends; than follow a
teacher with no credentials and whose understanding is not certified.
32) You will know you are making progress when you realize that you are a
beginner------ after years of practice.
33) Never assume you are a Buddhist just because you study Buddhism and practice
Buddhist meditation etc. Attaching to the form of a practice can become a bigger obstruction
than not practicing at all.
34) Make offerings to great teachers---even if they are far away. You will feel the benefit
of your sacrifice in meditation.
35) If you wear the robe of a monk or nun, earn it or return it.
36) If you think you do not have time for a daily practice, think again.
37) If you cannot find complete happiness inside, where will you find it?
38) If you don't practice and think you are happy, think again.
39) The Buddha is an Equal Opportunity Employer; all beings can practice Buddhism.
Make a sincere application of effort and the Buddha will take care of the rest.
40) Some people say Karma doesn't matter; Karma says some people don't matter.
41) If you find yourself stagnating in a practice; don't blame the practice. Renew your
energy and focus and try scrutinize your attitude toward your practice. Make sure that subtle
attachment to the form of your practice is not undermining your effort.
42) Results come when they are earned. Be happy in the practice itself. It takes time for
your practice to mirror the mind's nature.
43) Don't sell the Dharma.
44) Don't buy the Dharma.
45) Keep your practice to yourself unless asked specifically about it. Do not talk about
the Dharma casually or at inappropriate times.
46) Learn to practice during the many idle moments of the day. Keep a thread of self
awareness alive as much as possible throughout the day. This way when you do sit down to
meditate you will focus immediately with few scattered thoughts to push aside.
47) Happiness is not lots of sparkling white teeth bursting between lips.
48) Never say you don't care what others think, because you do care; it is demonstrated
by your denial.
49) If you care what others think; ask yourself if you should care. Assess the value of
other opinions. Cultivate friendships that will help you develop inner understanding and avoid
those that don't.
50) Vegetarianism is an aid to practice but it does not necessarily make you a better
Buddhist than one who isn't. The important thing is deep compassion.
51) Buddha is as Buddha does; you are as you do.
52) The Buddhist scholar without experience is like a virgin gynecologist. Experiential
realization is the culmination of a practice that balances study and meditation.
53) Beware of too much intelligence. You can't cheat the Buddha.
54) Skill in logic and debate must be balanced with the cultivation of virtue and merit.
Debating skills that are not founded on a moral, virtuous, and ethical foundation cannot
resolve the afflictions.
55) Cultivate the path you understand; even if it is not regarded as the "Supreme." If you
are building a house and are unskilled in the use of power tools, you will do a better job using
tools you know how to use---even though a more skilled craftsman may do better with the
more advanced tools.
56) Life is fatal; there is no cure. Therefore strive to know yourself
57) Meaningful words are seldom many.
58) A penny on the track is not going to stop the freight train of karma.
59) If you want to become enlightened you must first make yourself available.
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The following "points" are some thoughts that have guided me over the years. If you,
the reader, finds something here inspiring, very good, but I realize the "points" may
not be for everyone.
the reader, finds something here inspiring, very good, but I realize the "points" may
not be for everyone.