lake of lotus (18) the application of wisdom-the wisdom in d

By Vajra Acharya Pema LhadrenTranslated by Amy W.F. Chow

The Wisdom in DirectingOne’s Dharma Practice (18)

Excerpt of Last Issue :The Skills in the Setting-up of “Plans”

The primary condition for “success” is the setting-up of an “objective” (please refer to Issue 2 of the “Lake of Lotus”). In the setting-up of an objective with regards to one’s preference, capability and ideal, to be supplemented with the skills in the setting-up of an “objective” (please refer to Issue 3 of the “Lake of Lotus”), a blueprint of grandeur for the ideal of one’s life has more or less been drawn up. Then, what is the next step to proceed in order to ensure success “in achieving the objective”?

The next step is to draw up a detailed and concrete “plan” which is also strategic and efficient in nature. To work out a series of “plans” for the major, medium-term and small objectives is like the building up of a network of interconnected highways which would eventually lead to “success”. In designing the numerous “plans”, attention must be paid to the following items:

1. Complementarity and the Enhancement of Effectiveness: The links between “plans’ should have compatible, complementary and interdependent effects….(please refer to Issue 4 of the “Lake of Lotus”).

2. A thorough elimination process to decide what to ”adopt and abandon”: Irrespective of working out

major, medium-term and small “plans”, there must be a process to prioritize and eliminate with regards to some designated elements and conditions. A thorough elimination process to determine what to “adopt and abandon” ….

Designated Elements & Conditions in Determining What to “Adopt and Abandon”

(i) Importance: To what extent would the “plan” help in achieving the “objective”? To what extent would this “objective”, in which one is prepared to achieve, help in achieving the major objective”?...... (please refer to Issue 5 of the “Lake of Lotus”).

(ii) The Price to be Paid: Life is short and limited. All the resources that you presently possess could be lost at any moment. One must clearly understand the characteristics of the “Combination of Resources” and its relations with Destiny in one’s own life before making any changes, to realize the price that one has to pay for the different “plans”, and then go through the processes of elimination and deployment in order to “adopt and abandon” in these

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• Three Methods to Break Away from Adversities by Making Use of the Cir-cumstances

Issue no.181

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various “plans”. In this way, this would enable the limited resources to become “ever-renewing, inexhaustible and of unusual value for money” within a limited framework of time and space (please refer to Issue 6 of the “Lake of Lotus”).

(iii) Strength and Weakness: Every person has his/her own strengths, merits, skills, as well as his/her weaknesses and the Achilles’ heel (weakest point). In order to achieve success of any “objective” or of any “plan”, one must be very clear of one’s own strengths and weaknesses; and then through various skillful arrangements, try to complement and make use of one’s strengths and weaknesses in designing the contents and procedures of the “plans”. This is an “important strategy” in eliminating and deploying the “plans”, and thus should not be underestimated (please refer to Issue 7 of the “Lake of Lotus”).

(iv) The Factors of Time and Effectiveness (1): In drawing up any “plan”, one must take into account the “planning of time”. The “principles for the usages and wastages of time” must be clear, and have to be linked up with the effectiveness of the “plan”. Hence, time should be spent on those “plans” which are most effective and can bring the highest rate of return. One should prioritize one’s different “plans” according to the long or short durations of time used and their relative effectiveness. “Plans” that require one to put in a lot of time and effort, but with low rates of return and low effectiveness, should be scrapped. One should refine and improve one’s “plans” by making reference to the “principles for the usages and wastages of time”. This is a major direction in the selecting, eliminating and refining process of one’s “plans” (please refer to Issue 8 of the “Lake of Lotus”).

(v) The Factors of Time and Effectiveness (2): Due to the simple fact that one has only very limited time and energy in one’s lifetime, and if one’s own objective is either to be “liberated from the cycle of transmigration” (known as “Samsara” in Sanskrit), or to attain “full enlightenment” (“Buddhahood”) within this very life, then your “planning of time” and the “principles

for the usages and wastages of time” for this life will become one of the critical points in determining whether you would succeed or fail. Hence one must be very cautious and rational about this. If your objective is “to be reborn into the Buddha’s Pure Land” within this lifetime, then you would have had greater flexibility in the handling of your “planning of time” and the “principles for the usages and wastages of time”, but they still should not be neglected. Hence, what will be the most wise and effective way in the “planning of time” for one’s life while one is on the path for Dharma practice?......(please refer to Issue 9 of the “Lake of Lotus”).

(vi) The Factors of Time and Effectiveness (3): Does it mean that if one is unable to undergo “long-term retreat”, one would not be able to achieve the “objective” to become “liberated from Samsara or in attaining Buddhahood within this lifetime”? If you want to know the answer, please answer the following three questions first and to know about the “three essential factors” in the application of Buddhist teaching in our “Daily Living” …….. (please refer to Issue 10 of the “Lake of Lotus”).

(vii) The Factors of Time and Effectiveness (4): Wrong “Planning of Time”: It is no easy matter at all for one to be able to master the keys to success of “Dharma Practices” in one’s “daily living” in order to have achievements, as well as to be able to achieve the “objective” of becoming “liberated from Samsara or in attaining Buddhahood within this lifetime”. Even if one does possess the three best conditions (please refer to Issue 10 of the “Lake of Lotus”), it will still be unavoidable that one can fall prey and become lost again in this “tidal sea of sorrow in Samsara”, as one goes through this undulated waves of ever-changing life cycle. If one tries not to fall again, and instead wants to further consolidate upon one’s own foundation, one of the best methods is to merge one’s own “Dharma practices” into one’s “daily living” so as to ensure one’s mastering of the “Planning of Time”.

No matter in the setting of what kinds of “plans”, one has to try and predict what would be the outcomes that would be brought upon you by this “plan”? What

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will be the side-effects and how many? One always hopes for the best but be prepared for the worst. Many a Dharma practitioners, when planning the times for their “Dharma practices”, will tend to take care of one but then lose hold of the others, making it more contradictory, and also more confusing, for one’s own “daily living”, and thus ending in the loss of what to “adopt and abandon”. (please refer to the Issue 11 of the “Lake of Lotus”).

(viii) The Factors of Time and Effectiveness (5): The “Planning of Time” in One’s “Daily Living” (1) -- Linking up by the Main Theme, and Getting Through the Sequences of Events: How can the “planning of time” in one’s “daily living” be designed so as to avoid the various wrong doings? How should we practice the “Holy Dharma” so as to make the “effectiveness of Dharma practices during meditation” be linked up and steadily sustained with that in “post-meditation daily living” so as to further it and let it become fully “developed”? If one wants the “success” to be speed up, how should it be planned so as to remove those obstacles that will hinder the “effectiveness”? How can the sequence of incidents to be traced out of those confusions, and the key positions to be found in solving the problems? How can a consensus be reached between one’s “cognitions” and “reality” so that the “contradictions” can be resolved? How can the “devotion, pure state of mind and dedication” of Dharma practices “during meditation” be linked up and be sustained with that in the “post-meditation daily living” with a correct “state of mind”? ….(please refer to the Issue 12 of the “Lake of Lotus”).

(ix) The Factors of Time and Effectiveness (6): The Skilful Usages of the “Main Theme” and the “Sequences of Events”: The “cardinal mentality” is the major key in deciding on all things, and so the “planning of one’s Dharma practices” in one’s “daily living” has to use the “cardinal mentality” as the “main theme” to link up the “static states of Dharma practices” with the “dynamic states of Dharma practices”, by connecting their “common points” so as to get through the rigid dichotomy in one’s “planning of time,” and thus opening and tidying up

the disordered “sequences of events” in order to synergize the contradictions of these two and to make them to become complementary to each other, while using the “cardinal mentality” as the basis all through. This is, indeed, the “main points of planning” for one’s Dharma practices in “daily living”. Yet, how one focuses on the “cardinal mentality” and the “planning of time” would become the main key points for one’s “successes and/or failures”.….(please refer to the Issue 13 of the “Lake of Lotus”).

(x) The Factors of Time and Effectiveness (7): Flexibility in the Using of One’s “Mentality” for One’s Dharma Practice: While practicing the Dharma during the undulated waves of “daily living”, one can hardly sustain one’s “meditational power” and the degree of the steadiness of one’s “Dharma practice’ by relying solely on “Emptiness”. In order to be able to continuously enhance and elevate one’s Dharma practice in “daily living”, one must have to adopt “Emptiness” as the unchanging and everlasting “cardinal mentality”. One further needs to flexibly make use of the “three main essential points” of one’s Dharma practice in “daily living” so as to train one’s own “mind” in addressing the problems of one’s “daily living”, as well as to transform one’s “emotions and feelings” in becoming the “driving force for one’s Dharma practice” (please refer to the Issue 14 of the “Lake of Lotus”).

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(xi) The Factors of Time and Effectiveness (8): Criteria for “Dharma Practices in Times of Adversities” (1): In the undulated journey in the course of one’s lifetime, it is unavoidable that one would meet with many adversities. If you encounter these adversities and could not handle them properly, they would become the obstacles to all of your plans and objectives. Regardless of what “time and effectiveness” that you may have, they would be completely disturbed and delayed, and would hardly function properly. Thus, when one can skillfully adopt the strategy of getting through the obstacles by linking up the “Main Theme and the Sequences of Events”, and when one has set up the principles for choosing one’s “Cardinal Mentality” and also for the “Three Essential Factors” within one’s “mind”, one should at the same time follow the criteria for one’s “Dharma practices in times of adversities” as the procedures for handling the situations (please refer to the Issue 15 of the “Lake of Lotus”).

(xii) The Factors of Time and Effectiveness (9): Criteria for “Dharma Practices in Times of Adversities” (2): Among the criteria for “Dharma Practices in times of Adversities”, one should pay attention and adhere to the following procedures: 1) to alienate from one’s role; 2) to remain calm; 3) to analyze accurately; 4) to act within one’s own capacities – this can be regarded as the “time planning for one’s Dharma practice during adversities”; 5) to take advantage of the different circumstances; 6) to learn from one’s own experiences; and 7) to elevate one’s own awareness, with particular reference to 3) to analyze accurately (please refer to the Issue 16 of the “Lake of Lotus”).

(xiii) The Factors of Time and Effectiveness (10): Criteria for “Dharma Practices in Times of Adversities” (3): In times of favorable circumstances, it would be easy for one to achieve success regardless of what one does. One would naturally be successful without having to wait for the right opportunities, neither does one have to make any planning. This is because this will be the time for the arrival of the “achieved rewards”. The good deeds that

you have accumulated in the past are the best planning for the “achieved rewards.” However, in times of adversities, no matter what one does, one would have encountered many obstacles and have one’s head badly battered. If one simply goes along naturally, it would lead one to a dead end. This is because, in times of adversities, it is the time for the coming of one’s retributions due to one’s past bad deeds. If one does not remain calm, wait for the right opportunity, and plan appropriately, it would be difficult for one to get out from the plight. The question, then, is when will be the best time to get out from the plight? And what would be considered as the appropriate planning (please refer to the Issue 17 of the “Lake of Lotus”)?

(xiv) The Factors of Time and Effectiveness (11): Criteria for “Dharma Practices in Times of Adversities” (4) – Making use of the Circumstances: The characteristics for being in adversities are that one would be beset with difficulties and will be unable to cope with the situations. If one has to make use of the circumstances of that particular situation and time so as to break through the obstacles is basically an extremely difficult matter to achieve. Since it is all that difficult, the conditions that one would have to consider in order to complement the whole situation would be particularly even more so. There is an old Chinese saying that “Hero makes the trend of his time, and the trend of the time makes its own Hero”. After all, ‘the trend of the time and the environment’ together is one of the major elements for one’s success and failure. Hence, it is also a necessary element for one to get out from the plight by making use of the circumstances to break away from adversities.

Three Methods to Break Away from Adversities by Making Use of the Circumstances

If one is to make use of the circumstances, one would adopt one of the following situations:

1. To quiet ly wai t for the favourable circumstances to arise;

2. To make use of the existing circumstances;

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3. To build up favourable circumstances.

1. To quietly wait for the favourable circumstances to arise – to quietly wait for the opportunities is a type of “planning of time”. One should assess whether the environment would be favourable to one’s getting away from the plight, and if so, the extent of such a favourable condition. This is a type of planning which uses “effectiveness” as the basis for deciding upon “what to adopt and to abandon”. The reason for one to wait quietly is because, in times of adversities, one would desperately wish to get away from the plight as quickly as possible. This is understandable because adversities represent painfulness. It is quite natural for people in adversities to wish to do away with the painfulness as soon as possible. Whether one would succeed or fail will very much depend upon whether one would be able to “refrain from anxiety and adopt patience”. In order that one can be successful, one would have to go through a “process” which cannot be too fast. If it is too fast, one might have easily missed the favourable opportunities that were about to arise. One the other hand, one should not be too slow. Because, if it is too slow, one might also have easily missed the opportunities that had already arisen.

If one were to master the rhythms of fast and slow, it will have to depend on two points: the first point is the opportunity, and the second point is the capability. When the opportunities for getting away from the

plight arise, or when one is in possession of sufficient capabilities, one should then take extremely swift actions to enable one to break away from the plight. The best time for one to get away from the plight is, of course, when one is in possession of both the capabilities as well as in mastering the timing of the opportunities. If one is too anxious to be successful, one would normally be impatient about things. As a result, one would make a wrong assessment of the situation, resulting in one’s failure.

Take for instance the buying and selling of stocks. When the stock market continues to go up, giving rise to the illusion that that it would only go up without falling, the shareholders would normally follow the trend and try to buy the stocks when they are still on the rise, fearing that they might lose out on this good opportunity. If one gains money, one would be obsessed by the lust for having more money, whereby one would care less about one’s own capability and would thus empty all one has, or even borrow money, in order to buy the rising stocks. On the other hand, if the stock market continues to go down, one would normally be most unwilling to face the cruel reality. When under such kind of a mindset and of emotional complex, one would refuse to give up hopes, and will thus be desperate in trying to recover one’s capital. One would then continue to keep the stocks, or continue to buy more in order to reduce the unit price of the stocks on hand. It is only when the market has come to the point where the price of the stocks would only drop without ever rising, that one would start to realize that a crisis has occurred and the game was over, but then not much could be done by this time to save the situation. Even though the prices of the stocks have become so low that they became so worthy of purchasing, one would not be able to buy them any longer simply because one had already exhausted one’s capability, due to one’s having been “too anxious and impatient” about the whole situation, resulting in one’s missing this golden opportunity by the end of the day.

The circumstances include the “opportunities, vantage grounds and popular supports”. The “opportunity” refers to the trend of the whole situation. For example, from 2003 to 2006, the stock market as a whole was almost going up without any major falling. This is considered as the “opportunity”. At that time, the stock market was at the “upward curve” on the “cycle of peaks and troughs”. The “vantage ground” means to be situated in the key position where interests and benefits are transferred, and so it would be easy for one to get interests and benefits. The “popular support” is one of the most important linkages among the different circumstances. The key for one’s success and failure lies on whether one can transform the

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human resources that one has close contacts with into resources for one’s own cooperation.

When one encounters adversities, one would usually be at the position which is the “trough part” of the “cycle of peaks and troughs”. One would usually have a general human relationship with others, and be far from the key position where interests and benefits were transferred. That is to say, one must try whatever means possible to be more close to the key position where interests and benefits are transferred, and try to improve one’s human relationships with others as soon as possible so as to enable the good opportunities to come. If one is at the “upward curve” of the “cycle of peaks and troughs”, one would have ample capabilities to break away from the plight. This is one of the major points in the practice method of the “Pure-land Buddhist Sect” (Sukhavati Sect) – to wait for the different Buddhas to come for one’s rescue. However, it has the drawback of putting one’s faith and trust to chances and windfalls.

2. To make use of the existing circumstances – this refers to the assessment of one’s current situations to find out whether there are any commonalities in one’s conditions of getting away from the plight, whether they can be made us of; and if so, to what extent can these be of use. After having carefully considered the surrounding circumstances, one can take the “opportunities, vantage grounds and popular

supports” as the guiding principle in conducting in-depth research and analysis, so that one can discover the various roadmaps of getting away from the plight. Each of the roadmap of getting away from the plight will have its merits and drawbacks. Some may be in the stage of formation and thus are not yet mature for one’s adoption. To compare the merits and drawbacks of them would help one to devise the timetable and blueprint of getting away from the plight.

For example: in order for a Dharma practitioner, having determined to become “liberated from the cycle of karmic existence” as soon as possible, to choose one’s own way of practice methods, one must have to compare the success rates and the time and efforts required for different practice methods. Furthermore, one has also to consider one’s own age, the time and resources that one can make use of. After going through all these considerations, one would then pretty much know that it would be impractical for one to adopt those practice methods that are more “theoretical” in nature. Instead, one should adopt those practice methods that emphasize more on “practices”. Despite all these, the chosen practice methods should be most suitable for one’s own capabilities and expectations.

After one has chosen one’s own direction, such as the choosing of “Vajrayana” as the way for one’s own practice, then one will have to consider which of the “Gurus” will be chosen as one’s own guardian and mentor for one’s “mind-training” and Dharma practice. This is because the key for one’s success and failure in one’s Dharma practice will depend upon whether or not this particular “Guru” possesses the practical experiences and realizations of Dharma practice, the important explanations of “spiritual guidance”, as well as the “oral-pith instructions” of various practice methods. For a “Guru” who has the practical experiences and realizations of Dharma practice, not only will he be able to guide the “nature of the mind” of his disciples onto the right track and path, thus enabling them to be situated in the “magnetic fields” of “positive energies”, he will also be able to teach them to practice on “Emptiness” correctly (through his “spiritual guidance” and “oral-pith instructions”), as well as on the keys to success for one’s practical trainings of Dharma practice. All these teachings would be most direct, accurate and clear. One would then be able to tell which of the “Gurus” will be able to have firmly mastered the ways and means of where the shortcuts lie.

For a “Guru” without any practical experiences and realizations of Dharma practice, and without any important explanations of “spiritual guidance” and “oral-pith instructions” of various practice methods behind him, his so-called guidance to his disciples will

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mostly be ambiguous, indirect, superficial, and only of “bookish-theories” – which are all so far away from the true reality! For such a “Guru” without any practical experiences, but only relying on recitations, is no different from engaging oneself in “idle-theorizing” of going to war on paper. He will not be able to make his disciples to “observe the percepts, practice meditation and to give rise to wisdom”; neither can he be able to guide them towards the great ocean of Dharma practices.

Thus, if one is fortunate enough to have a “Guru” with practical experiences of Dharma practice, one would then have the best circumstances – one will have the best guarantee for one’s “opportunities, vantage grounds and popular supports”. One should treasure all these best circumstances! The remaining efforts will be on: how to make use of one’s “opportunities” so as to be always close to one’s own “Guru”; how to make use of one’s “vantage grounds” so as to receive teachings directly; and how to make use of one’s “popular supports” so as to gain the faith and trust of, as well as the likeness by, your Guru without getting jealousies and discriminations from the others. If one can make good use of all these circumstances, the roadmaps for one’s “liberation from the cycle of karmic existence”, as well as those in getting away from the plight, will be simple and easy to master.

3. To build up favourable circumstances – “Hero makes the trend of his time” illustrates a major point: that is, “circumstances” can be created to match with the “timing”, such that one does not have to wait for long without any certainty of success. This is also one of the major important points for “Vajrayana” Dharma practices. When one is in adversities, one would easily get anxious, perplexed and so became demoralized, thus giving rise to the thought of “giving up”. Thus, one should have a mindset with a strong and firm belief that “so long that one can be patient and bear all the obstacles for the time being, one must eventually have the great opportunity to be freed and reborn once again”. Only with this thinking of “never to give up” will one be able to have a whole new perspective and environment that one could hardly imagine. Hence, adversity is not to be frightful; what is really frightful is for one’s mind to be bogged down in a fatalistic position. “To be or not to be, that is the question?”

There is no unbeatable hero in this whole wide world; yet there are only those heroes who “will never admit failures in their lives”, and that “even when they failed, they will rise up again to create new trends of the times”. Hence, the definition of a “hero” is not based on the fact that one has never failed. But, instead, it is defined upon the conditions that “one would keep

on fighting, despite repeated failures, such that there is always a gleam of hope in one’s mind”. The real definition for a “hero” is that he/she is “one who will always fight till the very end, and who has the high spirit of being able to break new grounds”.

How would a “Hero makes the trend of his time”? One would have taken into account the current circumstances and their features, and adopt the method of “using a small amount of efforts in getting great results” at the key positions. This would enhance and elevate the circumstances and their features of the time in multiples. The direction of this enhancement and elevation would be beneficial to the objectives that one has designed for oneself. Hence, it is just reasonable to know that one would get away from the plight at the end of the day.

The “Vajrayana” Dharma practices are the same in that: when one is being placed in different situations, one could take into account of the circumstances and their features of the time, and then try to adopt the method of “using a small amount of efforts in getting great results”, at the key positions, in order to proactively transform the current circumstances and their features into an environment for one’s “liberation from the cycle of karmic existence”. One will even be more proactive by taking the initiative of “transferring oneself” to the “Buddha-fields” of the different Buddhas. This is, indeed, a method of liberation through “self-created circumstance and trend of the time”. This is really great, and is full of wisdom. Such an approach would bring the essence of the “making

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use of the circumstances” into play “most vividly and thoroughly”.

For the next issue of the “Lake of Lotus”, we can further explore on the remaining criteria and the flexible use of the “mindset” for one’s practice methods.

...(To be continued)

Waiting, why is it always difficult to bear?

Capability, why is it always difficult to accumulate?

Initiative, why it still fails despite repeated fighting?

Oh! Child! Waiting, one would require a calm and sensible mind with a strong will. When one has the firm belief that one has already mastered the roadmap for getting out of the plight, one should not be bewildered by the illusions, or to be tied up with impetuosity and being forced to take rush actions. Please give rise to your originally-possessed boundless wisdom so as to steady your mind. The time for getting out of the plight would definitely appear! Be patient! Wish you can remember this by heart!

Oh! Child! Capability, like its name, requires one to be practical and realistic to cultivate

and accumulate one’s capabilities. It takes time for one’s capabilities to coagulate, like the solidification of the glaciers, and it will take a long period of time in order to consolidate. The capabilities for one’s Dharma practice should also be accumulated bit by bit to prepare for one’s getting out of the plight in future. Please work hard! Wish you can remember this by heart!

Oh! Child! Initiative is the dynamic of self-salvation, and is also the mother of all hopes and opportunities. Without it, one would be like floating in the sea without any support, and would be at the disposal of one’s own destiny. All Dharma practices have to be based upon one’s own abilities. Please add the programming of initiative for your practice, and you will definitely be able to save yourself! Please do not place your high hopes on things that are passive and without any certainty for success. Otherwise, you may feel regretful when it is already too late. Get up please! Wish you can remember this by heart!

Oh! Child! Wish the Lord Buddha will guide you! And enable you to give rise to the bright intrinsic nature of Enlightenment!

(Note: The newly released book on “The Wisdom in Directing One’s Dharma Practice (1) has already been published. Its contents include the articles on “The Wisdom in Directing One’s Dharma Practice” from Issues 1 to 10.)

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