Chapter 5 Methods that can be repaired anytime, anywhere

What is Buddhism- {Chapter Five}-A method that can be practiced anytime, anywhere

“Chapter 5: A Method That Can Be Repaired Anytime, Anywhere”

Here are a few ways I can think of that can be done anytime, anywhere. Everyone has different environments and different interests. Some people like this method, while others think that one is more suitable. Therefore, the method I proposed is just for your reference. You can draw inferences from one instance, and you can definitely come up with more, better and more suitable methods. method, to do this kind of meaningful practice experiment.

How many ways?

1. Use various opportunities to stabilize your state of mind

If any of you have ever had the experience of not being able to sleep at night, you must be able to understand how important a quiet state of mind is. The benefits of a stable mind are not only the right way to practice Buddhism, but also have a great relationship with your physical health and mental health. Centering your mind does not mean that you should not have thoughts, but that your heart should not be distracted.

There are two methods in Buddhism that can help you calm down your mind and not let your thoughts wander: the first one is the word “loose”. Remember the word “pine” anytime, anywhere. The body should be as relaxed as possible, and the spirit should be as relaxed as possible. As soon as the heart becomes tense and the muscles are tense, you should relax immediately ; if your voice rises, and your mood becomes irritable, you should relax immediately. In short, tension is the main cause of distraction, and “relaxation” can help you stabilize. So “pine” is the first magic formula, which can be remembered anytime and anywhere.

The second method of calming the mind in Buddhism is to concentrate the mind. Buddhism is about cause and effect, so it attaches great importance to the power of vows. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have the great wish to save the world. If the state of mind of a person corresponds to the power of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas’ vows, just like a radio turned to a certain wavelength and can pick up the sound, it will be induced by the power of the vows to help you calm down. Therefore, the simplest and most common method in Buddhism to teach people to concentrate their thoughts and stabilize their minds is to silently recite or chant the Buddha’s name. For example, reciting Amitabha Buddha and Guanshiyin Bodhisattva wholeheartedly is a very effective method.

What I want to focus on here is how we can take advantage of opportunities anytime and anywhere. Most people always feel that they are too busy to have time to do such beneficial things. But if you can really examine carefully, you will find that there are actually a lot of time in a day that can be used.

Let me give a practical example : There was a lady who was often nervous and was afraid of riding in a car. Every time I sit in a car driven by someone else, I always clenched my fists tightly and stared at the front, as if I was ready to crash the car at any time and cause trouble. After sitting in the car for a long time, I feel very tired. One day, she suddenly thought, why not chant Guanshiyin Bodhisattva while riding in the car?

Since then, every time she rides in a car, she always closes her eyes and recites Guanyin Bodhisattva. At first, I still couldn’t calm down. The car stopped for a while, and I immediately opened my eyes to see what happened. There were some special noises outside the car, and I immediately looked around, fearing that I had bumped into the car. Gradually, reciting Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva became more vigorous, not only would I recite Avalokitesvara naturally as soon as I got in the car, but now I don’t need to close my eyes anymore, and I don’t seem to care much about the sounds of things outside the car, and just concentrate on chanting Bodhisattva.

Now not only has her nervousness been completely eliminated when she was riding in a car, but her usual nervous attitude, strange to say, has improved a lot.

Because everyone’s environment and living conditions are different, everyone must find opportunities to take advantage of them. I have a friend who always reads Buddhist scriptures or recites mantras when he boards an airplane or train. Some people use the noon during office hours ; Chanting Buddhist scriptures in the theater. In short, there are many opportunities, and it all depends on whether we can take advantage of them.

To go further : If you can carefully appreciate how many unnecessary things you say and do in a day, can these time be used?

2. A further perspective on trial and error

To look further is to think through one layer. Take, for example, the nervous lady who is afraid of cars. It is easy for us to infer that the reason why she was nervous and raised her fists and eyes when she was riding in a car was because she was afraid of crashing into a car and hurting herself or her loved ones among her colleagues. But if she can think about it further : How does this nervousness and bulging eyes help the safety of driving? Would the car be any safer because of her nerves? Through the layer in front of you, if you think about it further, you may laugh dumbfounded, knowing that this kind of nervousness is useless!

There are too many examples of this kind of mediocrity, taking fantasy as reality, causing restlessness and disturbed sleep. Such things, if one can look further beyond the surface, will disappear.

Nervousness and suspiciousness belong to emotion ; looking further, thinking through one layer is the function of reason. Being able to take a further look at anytime and anywhere is to train reason and emotion together. This kind of practice can reduce many unnecessary troubles and make life happy, easy and interesting.

3. Compare yourself to a Buddha

As we have said above, the Buddha is a personality with great wisdom and great compassion, a personality that has reached the most perfect state of reason and emotion at the same time, and a personality that is perfect, beautiful, and true. At the same time, it is mentioned that everyone originally has the same nature as the Buddha, but is affected by separate thinking and illusions, so that the nature is buried.

The third method of practice is to remind yourself often: you should work hard in the direction of “discovering the original Buddha nature”. For example, when you are about to get angry: you should immediately raise righteous thoughts : “Is this in line with the way of Buddha nature?” “If the Buddha was in such a situation, would he be as angry as me?” The same, but since we take “imitating the Buddha’s words and deeds to reveal the inherent Buddha nature” as our outlook on life, all our efforts should also be developed in this direction. Easy to get angry like ordinary people. If we can always keep the four words “imitating the Buddha” in our hearts, all our words and deeds will correspond to our nature and the Dharma.

After you get used to this point, go a step further and give up comparison and imitation, and directly think of yourself as a Buddha. “I am a Buddha. How will I deal with this situation?” The Buddha said that everyone has Buddha nature. It is not too much for you to think of yourself as a Buddha. Don’t be afraid of yourself, don’t dare to compare yourself to a Buddha, and give up an excellent practice method.

4. Always think of cause and effect

Belief in cause and effect is a fundamental theory in Buddhism. Before one becomes a Buddha, one cannot escape the circle of cause and effect. If there is such a cause, such an effect will definitely be produced, and it cannot be forced at all. Some people do bad things and insist that they don’t believe in cause and effect. This kind of person is just deceiving himself. In fact, he has no confidence in his heart.

Why do many people not believe in cause and effect? Because human knowledge can only reach this life ; what was the past life like? What about the future? It’s all outside our intellectual domain. However, according to Buddhism, the cause of this life does not necessarily mature in this life. It depends on the nature and severity of the cause. Some causes may not mature until the next life or after several lives. The fruit of this life is not necessarily due to the cause planted in this life, but may be the cause planted in the previous life or many lives. Intense causes may produce results in a very short period of time (for example, in this life), but this only refers to very strong great good deeds or great evil karma, so that you can see the fruit in this life.

Also, the causes of a person’s seeds are not necessarily all good or all evil, but often have a variety of good and evil causes; homework (cause), it is hard to say what kind of result he will definitely get.

After understanding the above-mentioned principles, and seeing that there are often many people who harm others and benefit themselves in the world, they enjoy life all their lives; while many people who are tolerant and kind often suffer losses. Hate that there is no right and wrong in life, no fruit reward, and a pessimistic and hesitant view.

Buddhism says that any cause, no matter how big or small, will definitely produce its due effect. It is clearly stated in the “Lotus Sutra” that any small merit, such as bowing the head to the Buddha statue, such as reciting one or two scriptures or the Buddha’s name in a low voice. This kind of small cause will gradually mature and eventually become a Buddha. Therefore, if we can think of cause and effect anytime, anywhere, we will naturally plant a variety of good causes, no matter how big or small; at least we can plant less evil causes. This kind of habit of thinking about cause and effect anytime, anywhere, once developed, is very powerful. You may wish to try it from today. When doing anything, think about the possible cause and effect of the matter, which is a very powerful practice.

5. Arouse Bodhicitta

Bodhicitta is a technical term in Buddhism and needs to be explained. To put it simply, you see that all people are the same as yourself, and you should try your best to relieve the suffering of all sentient beings, so that all sentient beings can have the knowledge and achievement of Buddha.

To generate Bodhicitta anytime, anywhere is to think of this determination to save all sentient beings anytime, anywhere. Saving all living beings can also be said to be the basic compassionate wish of Mahayana Buddhism. When we do anything and meet anyone, we can always think of this Dharma that liberates life and death, and relieves pain. For example, in practice, a good foundation has been laid.

What I want to emphasize here is that we should remind ourselves from time to time to check whether we are always raising this sad wish to save all sentient beings. If you can remind and review when doing anything: How does this matter help relieve human suffering or addiction? In this way, your bodhicitta is not small. In Buddhist terms, you already have the mind of a bodhisattva.

Bodhicitta does not arise immediately, ordinary people have to develop it slowly. The first step is not to wait to save others. The second step is often to remind myself, if I do this, it will benefit others. The third step is to further think about whether it can help him escape from all kinds of pain in life. At the beginning, the objects are often very narrow, perhaps only reaching your close relatives and friends, and gradually reaching a small group of people you know. But if for this small group of people, you can always have this kind of thought and action of helping and saving others, your bodhichitta is not too small.

Gradually you will spread this kind of compassionate heart to save mankind, transcending the boundaries of regions and countries, and popularizing the general public, without being artificially restricted by ethnicity and religion. At this time, your bodhicitta is already quite great and extensive. Over time, your compassionate saving mood will transcend the boundaries of human beings and spread to all sentient beings ; over time, you will be able to spread to the past and future without being restricted by this life. At this level, the realm of space and time has expanded. Anytime, anywhere, whatever you do, whatever thought you have, never forget to save countless and boundless sentient beings.

To save one sentient being is to save countless and immeasurable sentient beings; to save countless and immeasurable sentient beings is the same as to save one sentient being; because all Buddhas, sentient beings, and me are originally one without distinction. The emptiness is endless, and the nature is boundless. At this stage, your reason and emotion are equal!