Regrets are afflictions 

that cause grief and distress, 

disturbing both body and mind. 

A crucial objective in cultivation is to discover our faults, feel remorse, correct them, and then continue practicing. One risk in this process is to go through it quickly and without much thought. Call it a cursory correction.

Alternatively, another risk we run is getting mired in the process and being overwhelmed by feelings of guilt. We need to move mindfully through each step, neither progressing so quickly that wedon’t really learn from our mistakes nor so slowly that we find ourselves trapped in guilt, unable to practice.

Repeatedly replaying what we did saps us of our energy, leaving little for our desired improvement. Acknowledging that so much of what we do is a continuation of karmic threads can help here. And also to realize that we need to stop adding to the karmic chain. How? By chanting “Amituofo” and dedicating the merits to all those we hurt.

And expending our energy thus saved on self-cultivation.

Before correcting someone . . . (Click image for video)

Before correcting someone . . . (Click image for video)

Studying Buddhism without practicing 

is like studying how to play the piano, 

and never touching the keyboard. 

Theory is one thing, application another. Application invariably benefits significantly from study. But study devoid of application usually results in merely obtaining technical knowledge. Not in accomplishment. A student who fails to apply what he learns is merely repeating the words of others. Without putting words into action, there is simply no “music.”

Even worse, without practice, we will miss the whole point of the learning—to master the skill, or at least attain some degree of proficiency in it.

Studying Buddhism works the same way. By failing to apply the teachings on meditation, we remain distracted and unfocused in our thinking.

Failing to apply the principles behind cultivation, we remain stuck in our bad habits and self-absorption.

Like the person who never touches the keyboard, we too will miss any wonderful outcome. In our case, the unsurpassed joy of awakening.