How to Be Mindful
1. Do one thing at a time. Single-task, don’t multi-task. When you’re pouring water, just pour water. When you’re eating, just eat. When you’re bathing, just bathe. Don’t try to knock off a few tasks while eating or bathing or driving. Zen proverb: “When walking, walk. When eating, eat.”
2. Do it slowly and deliberately. You can do one task at a time, but also rush that task. Instead, take your time, and move slowly. Make your actions deliberate, not rushed and random. It takes practice, but it helps you focus on the task.
3. Do less. If you do less, you can do those things more slowly, more completely and with more concentration. If you fill your day with tasks, you will be rushing from one thing to the next without stopping to think about what you do. But you’re busy and you can’t possibly do less, right? You can. I’ve done it, and so have many busy people. It’s a matter of figuring out what’s important, and letting go of what’s not. Read more: The Lazy Manifesto: Do Less.
4. Put space between things. Related to the “Do less” rule, but it’s a way of managing your schedule so that you always have time to complete each task. Don’t schedule things close together — instead, leave room between things on your schedule. That gives you a more relaxed schedule, and leaves space in case one task takes longer than you planned.
5. Spend at least 5 minutes each day doing nothing. Just sit in silence. Become aware of your thoughts. Focus on your breathing. Notice the world around you. Become comfortable with the silence and stillness. It’ll do you a world of good — and just takes 5 minutes!
6. Stop worrying about the future - focus on the present. Become more aware of your thinking — are you constantly worrying about the future? Learn to recognize when you’re doing this, and then practice bringing yourself back to the present. Just focus on what you’re doing, right now. Enjoy the present moment.
7. When you’re talking to someone, be present. How many of us have spent time with someone but have been thinking about what we need to do in the future? Or thinking about what we want to say next, instead of really listening to that person? Instead, focus on being present, on really listening, on really enjoying your time with that person.
8. Eat slowly and savor your food. Food can be crammed down our throats in a rush, but where’s the joy in that? Savor each bite, slowly, and really get the most out of your food. Interestingly, you’ll eat less this way, and digest your food better as well.
9. Live slowly and savor your life. Just as you would savor your food by eating it more slowly, do everything this way — slow down and savor each and every moment. As I type this, for example, I have my 3-year-old daughter, Noelle, on my lap. She’s just sitting here quietly, as the rain pours down in a hush outside. What a lovely moment. In fact, I’m going to take a few minutes off just to be with her now. Be right back. :)
10. Make cleaning and cooking become meditation. Cooking and cleaning are often seen as drudgery, but actually they are both great ways to practice mindfulness, and can be great rituals performed each day. If cooking and cleaning seem like boring chores to you, try doing them as a form of meditation. Put your entire mind into those tasks, concentrate, and do them slowly and completely. It could change your entire day (as well as leave you with a cleaner house).
11. Keep practicing. When you get frustrated, just take a deep breath. When you ask yourself, “What should I do now, Self?”, the answer is “keep practicing”.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Buddhist Answers 4
24 May, 2009 - As a Buddhist practitioner, I like attending teachings and try to bring them into my daily life. Is this not enough? Why do we also need to make merit?
For people with good karma, it is possible to attain enlightenment by just listening to the teachings. The Chinese Zen monk Hui Neng is a good example of this. He awoke merely upon overhearing someone chant the Diamond Sutra.
However, most of us are too lost in the clouds of delusion for this to occur. Even if we listen to the teachings diligently, there is still every chance that we will not fully grasp the meaning. This occurs because of lack of merit.
We all naturally possess wisdom, but the clouds of ignorance cloak it. Merit provides a means for the light to shine through, and so enables us to see reality. In this respect, we can consider merit as a kind of ‘ability’.
Merit actually benefits on two levels. On an ultimate level, it is one of the causes of full enlightenment, while on a mundane level it provides a means to live wisely. How many people, for example, enjoy wealth, good health and live in beautiful surroundings, yet idle away their days watching Hindi soaps, playing video games or drinking. The inability to raise their lungta is entirely due to lack of merit. Even having the ability to relax and savour a cup of tea is contingent on merit.
In terms of mind, how does merit function? Well, our present situation did not arise from nowhere and at random, but is part of a flow of intertwined events that are both the result of the preceding event and the cause of the next.
In practical terms how does this function? Take, for example, a trip to Siliguri. From the moment the idea to visit the city was conceived, a series of events unfolded that allowed us to arrive there. First, we purchased a bus ticket, got on the bus and finally in Jaigaon, got transferred to another vehicle. We did not suddenly appear in Siliguri the moment we thought about going there, nor did we arrive without the right combination of causes and conditions. Our current situation is the same. It arose through a succession of events, with each being the result of the former and the cause of the next.
In this context, merit can be defined as anything that has a positive effect on this flow, such as thoughts, words or deeds that challenge ignorance and lead to the truth. Take compassion as an example. By benefiting others, we lessen our attachment to the false view of an independent self. Prostrations, likewise, crush our pride, while rejoicing in others good fortune serves as an antidote to jealousy. Listening to Dharma teachings, offering butter lamps and undertaking mandala practice are all excellent ways to generate merit.
In contrast, thoughts, words or deeds that preserve the wrong view, such as violence or arrogance, contaminates the flow and leads to inauspicious results.
How do we make merit? If you do not drink, for example, then make a vow to maintain this practice for the benefit of all beings. The ‘merit-meter’ will continue to tick away every moment that you do not consume alcohol. Likewise, if you decide to refrain from taking meat, but cannot do so on a daily basis, then make a vow to be a vegetarian on just one day a week. Later, when the act is complete, dedicate the merit to the enlightenment of all beings. Dedicating merit in this way is like adding a drop of water to the ocean.
In conclusion, merit is an essential aspect of life, and when combined with wisdom leads to full enlightenment. Therefore, we should not underestimate the benefits of merit, but strive to generate thoughts, words and deeds that lead to the truth whenever and however we can.
Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche said: “We cannot ac*****ulate merit if we have a macho sense of pride and arrogance that we have already have enough truth and virtue and now are going to collect more. The person who collects merit has to be humble and willing to give rather than willing to collect...”
For people with good karma, it is possible to attain enlightenment by just listening to the teachings. The Chinese Zen monk Hui Neng is a good example of this. He awoke merely upon overhearing someone chant the Diamond Sutra.
However, most of us are too lost in the clouds of delusion for this to occur. Even if we listen to the teachings diligently, there is still every chance that we will not fully grasp the meaning. This occurs because of lack of merit.
We all naturally possess wisdom, but the clouds of ignorance cloak it. Merit provides a means for the light to shine through, and so enables us to see reality. In this respect, we can consider merit as a kind of ‘ability’.
Merit actually benefits on two levels. On an ultimate level, it is one of the causes of full enlightenment, while on a mundane level it provides a means to live wisely. How many people, for example, enjoy wealth, good health and live in beautiful surroundings, yet idle away their days watching Hindi soaps, playing video games or drinking. The inability to raise their lungta is entirely due to lack of merit. Even having the ability to relax and savour a cup of tea is contingent on merit.
In terms of mind, how does merit function? Well, our present situation did not arise from nowhere and at random, but is part of a flow of intertwined events that are both the result of the preceding event and the cause of the next.
In practical terms how does this function? Take, for example, a trip to Siliguri. From the moment the idea to visit the city was conceived, a series of events unfolded that allowed us to arrive there. First, we purchased a bus ticket, got on the bus and finally in Jaigaon, got transferred to another vehicle. We did not suddenly appear in Siliguri the moment we thought about going there, nor did we arrive without the right combination of causes and conditions. Our current situation is the same. It arose through a succession of events, with each being the result of the former and the cause of the next.
In this context, merit can be defined as anything that has a positive effect on this flow, such as thoughts, words or deeds that challenge ignorance and lead to the truth. Take compassion as an example. By benefiting others, we lessen our attachment to the false view of an independent self. Prostrations, likewise, crush our pride, while rejoicing in others good fortune serves as an antidote to jealousy. Listening to Dharma teachings, offering butter lamps and undertaking mandala practice are all excellent ways to generate merit.
In contrast, thoughts, words or deeds that preserve the wrong view, such as violence or arrogance, contaminates the flow and leads to inauspicious results.
How do we make merit? If you do not drink, for example, then make a vow to maintain this practice for the benefit of all beings. The ‘merit-meter’ will continue to tick away every moment that you do not consume alcohol. Likewise, if you decide to refrain from taking meat, but cannot do so on a daily basis, then make a vow to be a vegetarian on just one day a week. Later, when the act is complete, dedicate the merit to the enlightenment of all beings. Dedicating merit in this way is like adding a drop of water to the ocean.
In conclusion, merit is an essential aspect of life, and when combined with wisdom leads to full enlightenment. Therefore, we should not underestimate the benefits of merit, but strive to generate thoughts, words and deeds that lead to the truth whenever and however we can.
Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche said: “We cannot ac*****ulate merit if we have a macho sense of pride and arrogance that we have already have enough truth and virtue and now are going to collect more. The person who collects merit has to be humble and willing to give rather than willing to collect...”
Buddhist Answers 3
31 May, 2009 - I’m a Buddhist, but I know I’ll never leave home and practice in the mountains or do a long retreat. Is there any point for me to practice?
Yes, definitely. When asked by his disciples how to explain the Dharma, the Buddha instructed them to say that an ordinary human called Siddhartha came into the world. He achieved enlightenment. He taught others how he achieved enlightenment and finally he passed into parinirvana.
These statements are of the greatest significance. They teach that an ordinary human being like us can awaken to reality. This is possible because we all posses basic goodness of heart. In this respect, there is no difference between us and the Buddha.
Obviously, there are great advantages to practise as a hermit or monk. Who has not been captivated by tales of Milarepa living in isolated Himalayan caves or by scenes of Theravada monks walking barefoot under the glare of Bangkok’s skyscrapers? These people add colour, authenticity and inspiration to the traditions. However, there are also lay people who reached high levels of attainment.
Take King Ashoka as an example. Without his valiant efforts, the Dharma may never have flourished and spread to all corners of the globe. Likewise, there were ordinary householders who gained enlightenment. Marpa is perhaps the most famous. The Dharma is concerned with transforming our mind and waking us to reality. Whether we enjoy a high or low social status or whether we shave our heads or keep our hair styled is irrelevant.
How can we transform our mundane life into a spiritual journey? Well, it is said that the Buddha taught 84,000 methods that lead beings to uncover our basic goodness of heart. Although the methods differ, they all include three components: view, meditation and action.
To develop the correct view, we should study the ‘Four Seals of Buddhism’. These are ‘all compounded things are impermanent; all emotions are pain; all things have no inherent existence and nirvana is beyond concepts ‘. In order to gain confidence in these teachings, it is important not to read them casually, but work with them as a goldsmith tests gold. Once we agree that the Four Seals represent the truth, we adopt them as the ground in which to interact with our world.
Normally, our lives are dominated by emotions, and even a minor problem causes us to instinctively recoil. Instead, we could use the situation to gain wisdom.
For instance, you are about to speak before a thousand people. Suddenly, you realize that you have brought the wrong script. Rather than making lame excuses and struggling to hold your ground, you allow the rug to be pulled from under. You simply apologize for the inconvenience and observe the embarrassment. There is so much humility and dignity here.
The Four Seals teach us that all compounded things are impermanent and have no inherent existence. Embarrassment, anger and disappointment offer a golden opportunity to experience these truths on a heart level. When we fall apart, simply allow the experience to touch us.
Although fear may initially accompany such responses, acting in this way allows for so much spaciousness and clarity. All our lives we have tried gathering the pieces to recreate the illusion of something solid and unchanging. It hasn’t worked. Meditation allows us to non-judgementally observe. Whatever thoughts arise, we just let them go. We take this practice into our daily life.
Difficult situations are rarely used as practice. We either try to avoid or destroy them. Like a person who shuts the windows and doors to keep their room clean, we try to hold our lives together by avoiding reality. We want security, but instead create hope and fear. Facing problems and watching our mind is like opening the windows and doors. There may be chaos, but there is life and vitality. We embrace the challenges, and use them as a means to gain wisdom. Basically, we stop struggling and allow things to take their course.
To return to the question, Buddhism is not so concerned about discarding the material world, but aims to make us aware of the habitual clinging to phenomena and self and enable us to renounce the clinging. As we familiarize ourselves with the Four Seals, we don’t necessarily discard things, but instead change our attitude towards them. Mediation allows us the space to watch without judgement. We act accordingly.
Yes, definitely. When asked by his disciples how to explain the Dharma, the Buddha instructed them to say that an ordinary human called Siddhartha came into the world. He achieved enlightenment. He taught others how he achieved enlightenment and finally he passed into parinirvana.
These statements are of the greatest significance. They teach that an ordinary human being like us can awaken to reality. This is possible because we all posses basic goodness of heart. In this respect, there is no difference between us and the Buddha.
Obviously, there are great advantages to practise as a hermit or monk. Who has not been captivated by tales of Milarepa living in isolated Himalayan caves or by scenes of Theravada monks walking barefoot under the glare of Bangkok’s skyscrapers? These people add colour, authenticity and inspiration to the traditions. However, there are also lay people who reached high levels of attainment.
Take King Ashoka as an example. Without his valiant efforts, the Dharma may never have flourished and spread to all corners of the globe. Likewise, there were ordinary householders who gained enlightenment. Marpa is perhaps the most famous. The Dharma is concerned with transforming our mind and waking us to reality. Whether we enjoy a high or low social status or whether we shave our heads or keep our hair styled is irrelevant.
How can we transform our mundane life into a spiritual journey? Well, it is said that the Buddha taught 84,000 methods that lead beings to uncover our basic goodness of heart. Although the methods differ, they all include three components: view, meditation and action.
To develop the correct view, we should study the ‘Four Seals of Buddhism’. These are ‘all compounded things are impermanent; all emotions are pain; all things have no inherent existence and nirvana is beyond concepts ‘. In order to gain confidence in these teachings, it is important not to read them casually, but work with them as a goldsmith tests gold. Once we agree that the Four Seals represent the truth, we adopt them as the ground in which to interact with our world.
Normally, our lives are dominated by emotions, and even a minor problem causes us to instinctively recoil. Instead, we could use the situation to gain wisdom.
For instance, you are about to speak before a thousand people. Suddenly, you realize that you have brought the wrong script. Rather than making lame excuses and struggling to hold your ground, you allow the rug to be pulled from under. You simply apologize for the inconvenience and observe the embarrassment. There is so much humility and dignity here.
The Four Seals teach us that all compounded things are impermanent and have no inherent existence. Embarrassment, anger and disappointment offer a golden opportunity to experience these truths on a heart level. When we fall apart, simply allow the experience to touch us.
Although fear may initially accompany such responses, acting in this way allows for so much spaciousness and clarity. All our lives we have tried gathering the pieces to recreate the illusion of something solid and unchanging. It hasn’t worked. Meditation allows us to non-judgementally observe. Whatever thoughts arise, we just let them go. We take this practice into our daily life.
Difficult situations are rarely used as practice. We either try to avoid or destroy them. Like a person who shuts the windows and doors to keep their room clean, we try to hold our lives together by avoiding reality. We want security, but instead create hope and fear. Facing problems and watching our mind is like opening the windows and doors. There may be chaos, but there is life and vitality. We embrace the challenges, and use them as a means to gain wisdom. Basically, we stop struggling and allow things to take their course.
To return to the question, Buddhism is not so concerned about discarding the material world, but aims to make us aware of the habitual clinging to phenomena and self and enable us to renounce the clinging. As we familiarize ourselves with the Four Seals, we don’t necessarily discard things, but instead change our attitude towards them. Mediation allows us the space to watch without judgement. We act accordingly.
Buddhist Answers 2
7 June, 2009 - Women sometimes appear like second class citizens in Buddhism. Why is this?
Buddhism transcends equality between male and female, and aims to fully destroy all discriminatory concepts. Equality based on establishing two entities on a level footing is merely a fight between the changing concepts of superior and inferior. As such, it is not does not lead to genuine equality.
For example, a person discovers that a colleague is on a higher salary scale. He feels victimized and upset. Later, he hears that the colleague’s salary has been reduced. He regains his composure and feels happy. During the whole saga, the man’s income and life-style remained exactly the same. Yet, he was disturbed because his peace of mind was contingent on external reference points, rather than his own sense of well-being.
Therefore, relying on them as a means to gain peace is no different from leaning on a wobbly chair for stability - impossible. This is not to say that we not challenge social injustices, we should. However, when we do, we need to be aware that our opinions are not facts and will change. As history shows, this year’s champion is often next year’s villain.
Some people might question the Vajrayana stand on eliminating all worldly discriminations. Well, it is our attachment to the validity of one opinion over another that causes suffering.
Let’s consider a beauty contest. The judges ascribe beauty to a particular contestant and declare her the winner. However, this cannot be true. If a person truly possesses beauty then everyone would agree. Yet, a child may not consider the winner beautiful, maybe even an adult from a different culture. So, we understand that attributes such as beauty, ugly, pure or impure are merely imputed and do not exist separate from their reference points.
How does this help? Well, when we cling to a view as a fact, our opinions solidify. A beautiful person, for example, is considered to possess this quality, but from our analysis we know this cannot be true. Trying to maintain such unattainable standards causes much fear, from which only the owners of cosmetic companies and plastic surgery clinics can hope to gain. Examining the question from a different angle, we should consider our nature of mind. There is no male or female basic goodness of heart, nor are there inferior or superior versions. We all possess the same inner qualities.
On a mundane level, there are certain differences in the capacity of people to practice the Dharma. However, these are related more to karma, not gender. In Vajrayana, the only major difference between male and female relates to the way the mind takes rebirth. The energy of a male tends to be more concentrated, which signifies compassion. In a female, the energy is more spacious, which is linked to wisdom.
Likewise, there is absolutely no gender bias in enlightenment. Whether male or female, whoever contemplates the teachings and practices accordingly gains enlightenment. It is as simple as that.
History is testament to the ability of women to gain enlightenment. In recent times, the togdenmas in Tibet were an excellent example. Many of these yoginis spent decades in remote caves and achieved high levels of attainment.
Sukhasiddhi was another example. This fifty-nine year old mother of six was thrown out by her husband for showing too much generosity to a beggar. Wandering alone in the hostile valleys that border present day Pakistan and Afghanistan, she finally acquired a small amount of grain that she distilled and sold as alcohol. Her small business enjoyed modest success, and she was able to make an offering to a yogi practising in a nearby cave. As acknowledgement, she received a Dharma teaching. It is said she attained enlightenment that very evening.
It is important to realize that there are not two kinds of basic goodness - one for men another for women. We all awake to the same spaciousness and clarity. Any women who feel discouraged should remember Sukhasiddhi. She offers living proof that ultimately there are no gender, age or social barriers to enlightenment and that all human life is equally precious.
Buddhism transcends equality between male and female, and aims to fully destroy all discriminatory concepts. Equality based on establishing two entities on a level footing is merely a fight between the changing concepts of superior and inferior. As such, it is not does not lead to genuine equality.
For example, a person discovers that a colleague is on a higher salary scale. He feels victimized and upset. Later, he hears that the colleague’s salary has been reduced. He regains his composure and feels happy. During the whole saga, the man’s income and life-style remained exactly the same. Yet, he was disturbed because his peace of mind was contingent on external reference points, rather than his own sense of well-being.
Therefore, relying on them as a means to gain peace is no different from leaning on a wobbly chair for stability - impossible. This is not to say that we not challenge social injustices, we should. However, when we do, we need to be aware that our opinions are not facts and will change. As history shows, this year’s champion is often next year’s villain.
Some people might question the Vajrayana stand on eliminating all worldly discriminations. Well, it is our attachment to the validity of one opinion over another that causes suffering.
Let’s consider a beauty contest. The judges ascribe beauty to a particular contestant and declare her the winner. However, this cannot be true. If a person truly possesses beauty then everyone would agree. Yet, a child may not consider the winner beautiful, maybe even an adult from a different culture. So, we understand that attributes such as beauty, ugly, pure or impure are merely imputed and do not exist separate from their reference points.
How does this help? Well, when we cling to a view as a fact, our opinions solidify. A beautiful person, for example, is considered to possess this quality, but from our analysis we know this cannot be true. Trying to maintain such unattainable standards causes much fear, from which only the owners of cosmetic companies and plastic surgery clinics can hope to gain. Examining the question from a different angle, we should consider our nature of mind. There is no male or female basic goodness of heart, nor are there inferior or superior versions. We all possess the same inner qualities.
On a mundane level, there are certain differences in the capacity of people to practice the Dharma. However, these are related more to karma, not gender. In Vajrayana, the only major difference between male and female relates to the way the mind takes rebirth. The energy of a male tends to be more concentrated, which signifies compassion. In a female, the energy is more spacious, which is linked to wisdom.
Likewise, there is absolutely no gender bias in enlightenment. Whether male or female, whoever contemplates the teachings and practices accordingly gains enlightenment. It is as simple as that.
History is testament to the ability of women to gain enlightenment. In recent times, the togdenmas in Tibet were an excellent example. Many of these yoginis spent decades in remote caves and achieved high levels of attainment.
Sukhasiddhi was another example. This fifty-nine year old mother of six was thrown out by her husband for showing too much generosity to a beggar. Wandering alone in the hostile valleys that border present day Pakistan and Afghanistan, she finally acquired a small amount of grain that she distilled and sold as alcohol. Her small business enjoyed modest success, and she was able to make an offering to a yogi practising in a nearby cave. As acknowledgement, she received a Dharma teaching. It is said she attained enlightenment that very evening.
It is important to realize that there are not two kinds of basic goodness - one for men another for women. We all awake to the same spaciousness and clarity. Any women who feel discouraged should remember Sukhasiddhi. She offers living proof that ultimately there are no gender, age or social barriers to enlightenment and that all human life is equally precious.
Buddhist Answers 1
Building up bodhicitta for a better world: Compassion is the essence of Buddhism, but many Buddhists spend time and money going on pilgrimage tours or making merit only for themselves. Isn’t this a contradiction?
That’s a good point. Let’s explore how compassion is linked with undertaking meritorious action, such as going on a pilgrimage, offering butter lamps or hoisting prayer flags.
Everyone will agree that action begins in the mind. Therefore, transforming the mind is the focus of Buddhist practice. If we are arrogant or proud, for example, how can our activities benefit others? It is no different from expecting healthy crops to grow from polluted or infertile soil. While a farmer will use manure to vitalise the ground, a Buddhist will undertake meritorious action to purify the mind.
As the question states, however, many people practice Dharma activities for personal benefit, not out of compassion. They go to Bodh Gaya or cir*****ambulate a chorten in order to pray for business or examination success. When we undertake a Dharma activity, it is absolutely essential that it is done with a pure motivation to benefit others.
Prince Siddhartha understood this when he fled the palace in the middle of the night. Even though he had the potential to be a great ruler and benefit many people, he knew that he did not yet posses the wisdom or skill to help people overcome the root of suffering. Consequently, he renounced his title to begin mind training. He did not flee the palace to escape his responsibilities, but to benefit all beings on a profound level.
Here’s another example of this attitude. A person lives in a country where sickness pervades. He possesses tremendous courage and compassion, but lacks the medical knowledge to help. As a result, he decides to leave and train to become a doctor. The motivation to do this is not for personal benefit, but to gain a skill and increase his ability to assist others. In Buddhism, when we reach the same conclusion, we undertake practice with the aim of liberating all beings from suffering. This is called the mind of bodhicitta.
It is important to emulate this attitude when we embark on a pilgrimage. In fact, before we begin any meritorious action, we should repeat words such as: “I will do this not for myself, but for the benefit of sentient beings”. The act should be concluded by dedicating the merit towards the enlightenment of all beings.
People who doubt that visiting a sacred site can be of value to others, should reflect on the importance of mind. Transforming the mind and correcting our view is the basis of benefiting others. Like a stone dropped in a pond, the ripples from a positive aspiration can cause far reaching effects.
In this respect, it is said that, when greed dominates a society, corruption is rampant. When anger clouds our minds, war follows, but when kindness fills our hearts, peace ensues. We should not dismiss the power of collective energy.
In the same way that a visit to Hong Kong offers us an opportunity to do business and create wealth, a trip to Bodh Gaya offers us the chance to purify our minds and create conditions for peace and stability. Therefore, we can understand that going on a pilgrimage does not contradict the Buddhist ideal of compassion in any way. It actually generates the causes and conditions that allow it to manifest.
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That’s a good point. Let’s explore how compassion is linked with undertaking meritorious action, such as going on a pilgrimage, offering butter lamps or hoisting prayer flags.
Everyone will agree that action begins in the mind. Therefore, transforming the mind is the focus of Buddhist practice. If we are arrogant or proud, for example, how can our activities benefit others? It is no different from expecting healthy crops to grow from polluted or infertile soil. While a farmer will use manure to vitalise the ground, a Buddhist will undertake meritorious action to purify the mind.
As the question states, however, many people practice Dharma activities for personal benefit, not out of compassion. They go to Bodh Gaya or cir*****ambulate a chorten in order to pray for business or examination success. When we undertake a Dharma activity, it is absolutely essential that it is done with a pure motivation to benefit others.
Prince Siddhartha understood this when he fled the palace in the middle of the night. Even though he had the potential to be a great ruler and benefit many people, he knew that he did not yet posses the wisdom or skill to help people overcome the root of suffering. Consequently, he renounced his title to begin mind training. He did not flee the palace to escape his responsibilities, but to benefit all beings on a profound level.
Here’s another example of this attitude. A person lives in a country where sickness pervades. He possesses tremendous courage and compassion, but lacks the medical knowledge to help. As a result, he decides to leave and train to become a doctor. The motivation to do this is not for personal benefit, but to gain a skill and increase his ability to assist others. In Buddhism, when we reach the same conclusion, we undertake practice with the aim of liberating all beings from suffering. This is called the mind of bodhicitta.
It is important to emulate this attitude when we embark on a pilgrimage. In fact, before we begin any meritorious action, we should repeat words such as: “I will do this not for myself, but for the benefit of sentient beings”. The act should be concluded by dedicating the merit towards the enlightenment of all beings.
People who doubt that visiting a sacred site can be of value to others, should reflect on the importance of mind. Transforming the mind and correcting our view is the basis of benefiting others. Like a stone dropped in a pond, the ripples from a positive aspiration can cause far reaching effects.
In this respect, it is said that, when greed dominates a society, corruption is rampant. When anger clouds our minds, war follows, but when kindness fills our hearts, peace ensues. We should not dismiss the power of collective energy.
In the same way that a visit to Hong Kong offers us an opportunity to do business and create wealth, a trip to Bodh Gaya offers us the chance to purify our minds and create conditions for peace and stability. Therefore, we can understand that going on a pilgrimage does not contradict the Buddhist ideal of compassion in any way. It actually generates the causes and conditions that allow it to manifest.
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