26 May 2014

Contemplation: Patience

After reviewing the guidelines for practice, take the following as your contemplation:

Question:  How should followers of the teaching practice patience?

Answer:  They should be patient with the vexatious acts of others and should not harbor thoughts of vengeance, and they should also be patient in matters of gain or loss, honor or dishonor, praise or blame, suffering or joy, etc.

The Awakening of Faith (trans. Hakeda), p. 94.  Punctuation and diction altered slightly

19 May 2014

Contemplation: Precepts

After reviewing the guidelines for practice, take the following as your contemplation:

How should followers of the teaching practice the observance of precepts?

They are not to kill, to steal, to commit adultery, to be double-tongued, to slander, to lie, or to utter exaggerated speech.  They are to free themselves from greed, jealousy, cheating, deceit, flattery, crookedness, anger, hatred, and perverse views.  If they happen to be monks who have renounced family life, they should also, in order to cut off and suppress defilements, keep themselves away from the hustle and bustle of the world and, always residing in solitude, should learn to be content with the least desire and should practice vigorous ascetic disciplines.  They should be repelled and filled with awe by any slight fault and should feel regret and repent.  They should not take lightly any of the Tathagata's precepts.  They should guard themselves from slander and from showing dislike so as not to rouse people in their delusion to commit any offense or sin.

The Awakening of Faith (trans. Hakeda), p. 94.  Punctuation and diction altered slightly, and presented in honor of those who took the five lay precepts last weekend in our sangha.

12 May 2014

Contemplation: I Wear the Tathagata's Teachings

After reviewing the guidelines for practice, take the following as your object of contemplation:
Vast is the robe of emptiness
A formless field of benefaction
I wear the Tathagata's teachings
Saving all sentient beings
"The Verse of the Kesa" as recited at Tendai Buddhist Institute, posted in honor of our local sangha members taking refuge this week.

05 May 2014

Contemplation: The Practice of Generosity

After reviewing the guidelines for practice, take the following as your topic for contemplation:

Question:  How should someone practice generosity?

Answer:  If he sees anyone coming to him begging, he should give him the wealth and other things in his possession in so far as he is able; thus, while freeing himself from greed and avarice, he causes the beggar to be joyful.  Or, if he sees one who is in hardship, in fear, or in grave danger, he should give him freedom from fear in so far as he is able.  If someone comes to seek instruction in the teaching, he should, according to his ability and understanding, explain it by the use of expedient means.  In doing so, however, he should not expect any fame, material gain, or respect, but he should think only of benefiting himself and others alike and of extending the merit that he gains from the practice of charity toward the attainment of enlightenment.

The Awakening of Faith (trans. Hakeda), pp.93.  Punctuation and diction altered slightly.