Thoughts on a Peaceful Day

Occassionally I like to repeat an entry that seemed appropriate when I wrote and still seems so when I read it a few years later. The following is one of those entries...

Every word we think is important.

That may seem a touch strong, but what we think is what we will become. If our thoughts are in any way negative, we’re going in the wrong direction—figuratively and literally.

It’s been a delightfully quiet day. For me that means there has been much work to do but no emergencies hurtling at me through the Internet. The neighbors have been quiet. Other than an occasional car, all I’ve heard have been the sounds of the wrens chirping and the occasional flock of Canada geese discussing flight plans while flying overhead. It’s been a peaceful day, a good day to work.

With this much quiet all I’ve noticed, other than the soft chanting of my "Amituofo" CD, are my thoughts. Even on a peaceful, untroubled day, I’ve noticed they haven’t all been as admirable as they could.  Nothing serious. Just a touch of sarcasm when I was trying for wit or a fleeting thought of what was that? Self-satisfaction? A hint of anger?

Like I said—nothing serious. But if such thoughts arise on a peaceful day without deadlines or disturbances, it’s little wonder we think and say the things we do on bad days. But the problem then is, we don’t notice what we’re doing until the harm is done. Then it’s too late.

So now is a good time to practice, when life is peaceful and I can catch and immediately correct myself. And hopefully I'll get better at it when times are more "challenging."

Benefits of Practicing the Six Paramitas

with giving, we eliminate greed

with morality, we let go of afflictions

with patience, we dissolve hatred

with enthusiastic effort, we overcome laziness

with concentration, we calm pointless thoughts

with wisdom, we leave delusion behind.

Being Attached to Set Forms of Practice

You may recite the Buddha's name sitting, standing, kneeling, or circumambulating the altar, etc. but you should not be attached to any set ways.

If you become attached to a fixed position, your body may tire easily and your mind may find it difficult to merge with the Mind of the Buddhas. To reap benefits, you should make allowances for your health or habits and skillfully select the practice that fits your circumstances.

Traditionally, Pure Land practitioners circumambulate the altar at the beginning of a Buddha Recitation session. then sit down, and, finally, kneel. However, if you feel tired when circumambulation or kneeling, you should sit down and recite. If you become drowsy while seated, you can circumambulate the altar or recite standing up, waiting for the drowsiness to go away before sitting down again. When reciting, it is better to determine the length of the session with a clock, rather than fingering a rosary, as doing so may make it difficult to focus the mind and keep it empty and pure.

~ Great Master's Yin Guang, Thirteenth Patriarch of the Pure Land school

A Truly Good Person

We should not, because of our arrogance,

harm ourselves by doing something improper.

We should not, because of our lack of confidence,

give up on ourselves.

With effort, we will each gradually become a noble person.

It was Claire’s favorite part of the day. Every night, before she went to sleep, her mother would read a book with her. They wouldn’t read a lot. Just the right amount.

Then Claire’s mom would talk to her about what they had read.

Would Claire have done anything differently from the characters in the book? Which ones did she admire and why? What did Claire think would happen next, after the story ended?

Claire would also ask her mom the same questions. She was really good at guessing which characters her mom admired the most. First, they always listened to their parents! Often in the story, they would make a mistake and then learn from it. And they were kind to the people and animals they met.

One day, after Claire and her mom had finished reading The Little Mermaid, Claire was especially quiet. Her mom asked, “Claire, what are you thinking about?”

Slowly Claire replied, “The mermaid was so good. First, she swam for hours to save the prince’s life. Later, when she had a chance to become a mermaid again she didn’t because she would have had to kill the prince. Instead, she jumped into the water but was saved by fairies.”

Her mom agreed, “She was very brave, wasn’t she.”

“She was sooo brave. And so good!” Shaking her head, Claire said, “I could never be like that.”

Claire’s mom stroked her daughter’s hair. “If we tell ourselves that we cannot be really good, do you know what will happen?”

“No,” Claire answered.

“If we tell ourselves that we can’t be really good, we won’t be. Because we won’t even try. So what we tell ourselves is very important. It’s like the story about the blue locomotive. Remember how he kept saying, ‘I think I can. I think I can.’? And he did! Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Claire brightened a bit. “I think so. I should tell myself that I can be good. Just like the little mermaid.”

Her mom hugged her and said, “That’s my Claire.”

Suddenly they heard a surprised cry coming from the kitchen. Claire’s mom jumped up and ran out of the bedroom. Claire got off the bed and ran after her. When they got to the kitchen, they found Claire’s twin brother, Chris. He was sitting on the floor holding his foot. Next to him was a soymilk container.

His mom ran to him. “Chris, are you okay? What happened?”

“You said we could have soymilk and cookies tonight as a treat. I wanted to surprise you and get the soymilk out. But it fell off the shelf and hit my foot. I just wanted to help.”

His mom checked his foot, then picked up the soymilk container and put it on the table.

“Well, this certainly is the night for lessons! Your foot is okay and will stop hurting in a few minutes. You need to be more careful. Chris, haven’t I told you to hold things with both hands? When I tell you something, like to do things slowly, there’s a reason. I want you to do things correctly, and I don’t want you to be hurt. Do you understand?“

Chris nodded and went to his mother. “Yes. I’ll try to be more careful next time.”

She hugged him and smiled. “You’re so adventuresome! I can’t keep up with you.

Then she put out the cookies and poured the soymilk, and the twins sat down at the table.

“There’s something else the both of you need to understand.”

Claire and Chris looked at their mother as they munched their cookies. She sat down at the table between them.

“I’m very proud that you try so hard to be good. Being a really good person takes time and work. But it is worth it.“

As they looked up from their cookies, she continued. “Because being a really good person will make you and those with you happy. You’ll be happy because you know you’re doing what’s right. Others will be happy because you’re so nice to be with.”

Claire and Chris were looking up at their mother and listening to every word she said. They knew her this-is-important voice.

“I know that each of you can become a really good person. I want you to know that too. As I’ve told you before, everything you and I say and do causes something to happen. It’s like a boomerang. So your efforts to be good will result in you being good. Okay?”

Claire snuggled closer to her mom. Chris beamed up at her.

Their mom smiled as she looked down and hugged them both.

Mistaking a Thief for a Son

Greed, anger, and delusion are afflictions common to everyone. However, if you are aware that they are diseases, their power should not be overwhelming. They are like thieves who have broken into the house. If the owner mistakes them for members of the household, all the valuables in the house will be stolen. If, on the other hand, he recognizes the thieves as such and immediately chases them away, his valueables will be safeguarded and he will be at peace. In this connection, the ancients have said:

Fear not the early arising of thoughts [greed, anger, delusion, etc.]; fear only the late awareness of them as such.

When greed, anger, and delusion arise, as long as you recognize them for what they are, these thoughts will immediately be destroyed. However, if you take them for the true master of your household, it is no different from mistaking a thief for your son. How can your riches not be squandered and lost.

~ Great Master's Yin Guang, Thirteenth Patriarch of the Pure Land school