In
general, the Path of Wisdom consists of taking refuge, the practice
of prayer, the engendering of bodhicitta, Guru Yoga and meditation.
For each of these practices, it is necessary that we gradually
develop, and attune our minds little by little, to the actual
meaning of each practice.
THE MEANING OF TAKING REFUGE
What
does it mean to take refuge? It means that from this particular
moment onward and until we become enlightened, we seek refuge
in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha. Why do we need these
three objects of refuge? In the Buddha, we establish a link to
the qualities that have been attained by Buddha Shakyamuni. The
Dharma is the Buddha's teachings that show us the way to connect
to those qualities, so we take refuge in the Dharma. We need someone
to teach us the Dharma, someone who is realized himself, meaning
that he has successfully obtained the results of the path through
his own practice. Such an individual person is then a qualified
teacher. We therefore rely on these qualified teachers who are
the extraordinary Sangha to impart their knowledge and methods
to us.
There
are generally two kinds of Sangha: the ordinary and the extraordinary
Sangha. It is essential for us to understand that it is the extraordinary
Sangha in whom we seek refuge. The word Sangha means gathering.
The extraordinary Sangha are the spiritual masters who have themselves
achieved certain realizations through dharma practice as taught
by the Buddha. They may not have the complete realization of a
Buddha. But they have achieved certain qualities that they can
now transmit to others. Historically, the extraordinary Sangha
are the Bodhisattvas. On the other hand, the ordinary Sangha can
refer to any community of spiritual teachers from whom we can
obtain teachings. A gathering of Dharma practitioners can also
be referred to as the Sangha.
What
does refuge mean? It means protection - protection from the wrong
path, protection from the wrong ideas, and protection from committing
negative actions. We start with this basic meaning of protection.
Then later on, we will progressively acquire a broader and deeper
understanding of refuge.
THE
MEANING OF ENGENDERING BODHICITTA
Having
taken refuge, it is good to avoid always thinking only of ourselves
to the exclusion of others. Instead, we adopt Bodhicitta, an altruistic
motivation in all that we think, speak, and do. We are genuinely
concerned for the suffering of all living beings and we wish only
that they be liberated. Bodhicitta is not just an idea but it
is very profound in and of itself. We begin by being slightly
more open to others. Having an open mind will enable us to first
think more for others, then to share more with others, and then
to be more beneficial to others. This is a process that is learnt.
When we can act with Bodhicitta, it means our practice is improving.
We are improving and we find it easier to share everything beneficial
with everyone.
All
Buddhist teachings emphasize this one essential point, to generate
the Bodhicitta attitude, to have a more open mind. It does not
matter that our mind is not completely open or that we cannot
do everything for others. The key is to start with ourselves right
here and now, and we try to connect with our own inner capacity
whatever its current level. We do what is within our reach as
much as possible. This is important. For example, when we open
ourselves a little bit, then there is a basic quality in us that
we can expand and improve. At the moment, due to our ignorance,
we have pride, greed, and other negative emotions. Under their
influence, we tend to want only to do the "big" things.
But then, we realize that we cannot and so we start to lose confidence
in ourselves. It is therefore important to understand that we
are not required to be at a certain level already. Rather, we
do as much as we can according to our own capability. This is
what generating Bodhicitta means.
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