Taking it for Granted

We take it so for granted.

If we want books, we can request them from a Pure Land society or now even buy them on Amazon. If we want nianju (malas or chanting beads) we can request those too or even buy them online.

So easy.

Too easy perhaps. Easy to become spoiled and not appreciate what we have.

I correspond with a prisoner in the correctional system in the US. When David was moved from one facility to another, all his Buddhist books, which had taken a few years to attain, were taken away. At the new facility, it is much harder to receive books. The Amitabha Buddhist Library in Chicago has helped me in the past by mailing books to David. But although we always follow the specified procedure, there is no guarantee the books, etc. would be accepted.

Just last month, the library sent David a package of books with the official approval letter included, but the package was rejected. We sent it again. Frankly, when you know you're doing everything as instructed that's all you can do—keep sending. And David and his small sangha keep hoping, hoping that soon the books will arrive and be accepted. Unlike the procedure in the first paragraph, this procedure is anything but easy.

For a year, David has been trying to have nianju approved for the members of his small sangha. One whole year to get what you and I would have gotten in a matter of days. In October, David was told chanting beads would be accepted by the chaplain for the sangha. But David knew this approval could be revoked at any time. David wrote to me and I contacted the library. Coincidentally, the rejected package of books had just been sent back to the library.

The next day, one package of books and one containing five long nianju were sent. The books had been repackaged and the same approval form, which was about to expire and had been included last time, was again included. The nianju were placed in a separate package since they had not been listed on the approval form for the books. Hopefully, at least one of the packages would be accepted and given to David. Hopefully, something would get through to him for his sangha this time.

This morning I checked the correctional facility's email system and found an email from David. It had been sent a few days ago. On the 17th, the day he had read was the day to pay special appreciation to Amitabha Buddha, the day he would commemorate by chanting and fasting, the day he would honor the Buddha's teachings in a facility where even one "Amituofo" is difficult to manage, on that day the books arrived.

And so did the nianju.

… they are the most Beautiful Malas I have ever seen. I loaned out two of the books and I started on the other two…it was no accident that we recieved them today, I have never seen the guys so happy… Since I knew that today was Lord Buddha Amitoufo's special, yesterday I started chanting and fasting, and at the end of the day I completed 4444 Chants and I really did not get hungry either. I could feel Amitoufo very near…Yours in the Dharma, David

So difficult.

And yet—largely because of that difficulty—David and his sangha members will truly appreciate and value their nianju and books, as well as their opportunity to practice.

Was That a Thought? Or a Worry?

When are we thinking and when are we simply worrying?

I’d say that thinking is a more positive process. One in which we are faced with an opportunity or a situation or a problem or just something that needs to be done. In thinking about it we analyze the subject and then try to come up with varying ways to see it to a successful conclusion.

For example, I need to write an entry for the blog. (Some days that’s an opportunity, other days when I stare at my computer screen and it simply stares back, it’s bordering on a problem. ;-)) I look around for sources of inspiration, which are often something that I experienced or read. I play around with ideas, with different ways of expressing them. I try things out in my head. When I have a mental draft in my mind, I start writing.

Worrying, on the other hand, is negative. We go over and over things that might happen; the very nature of these things makes us anxious and unhappy. We can’t let go of these ideas, but keep returning to them. Perhaps, we blame ourselves for having done something we now realize was a mistake and worry about possible consequences. Perhaps, we fear what might happen if things go against us in tomorrow morning’s meeting at work. Or we might worry about losing our job or how our children are doing or any number of things.

An example might be worrying that I’ll run out of ideas for the blog. I could become tense as I search for ideas, returning to the thought—what if nothing comes in time? I could become worried that I haven’t posted for several days, anxious that people will be disappointed. (In case you’re beginning to worry about me at this point, there’s no need. There’s enough past entries to keep readers busy. Also, the Pure Land patriarchs and masters were prolific and eloquent.)

To sum up the differences, thinking involves a more positive, creative process. Worrying involves anxiety and unhappiness. Thinking can fix problems. Worrying increases them.

Understanding this, the next time you begin to notice mental agitation, the next time you sense a feeling of discomfort and unease, check to see whether you have stepped over the thin line that separates thinking from worrying.

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