28.04.2015 Views

Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.

These meditations are specially balanced to include both<br />

meditations on the sunyata of nature (voidness) <strong>and</strong> on<br />

the sunyata of condition (fullness).<br />

The scheme outlined here is for the person in whom the<br />

tendencies for wisdom <strong>and</strong> compassion are more or less<br />

balanced, but it should be adapted in the case of those<br />

having one-sided characters. Thus, if a person has more<br />

wisdom than mercy, let him replace the four unborns (1)<br />

<strong>and</strong> the unattainability of mind (4) by greater emphasis<br />

on the karma of great compassion (7) <strong>and</strong> the three<br />

wheels (8). In one who is opposite in nature, having<br />

more compassion than wisdom, he should not meditate<br />

on the three wheels (8) <strong>and</strong> concentrate more upon the<br />

four voidnesses (3). Thus should be the hermit's<br />

practice.<br />

2. If we consider the ordinary person with no time to<br />

spare for hermit life, how should he be advised? First,<br />

he should get up a little earlier than most people, at least<br />

half an hour (<strong>and</strong> preferably more) before others wake<br />

up or he will be disturbed by them. He should close his<br />

room as though it were a hermitage <strong>and</strong> instruct his<br />

family that he is not to be disturbed by them for any<br />

reason whatsoever. They should not even knock on his<br />

door <strong>and</strong> in any case be careful to keep quiet. First then,<br />

he should make some offering to the Buddha such as the<br />

traditional c<strong>and</strong>le, incense, <strong>and</strong> flowers, <strong>and</strong> then kneel<br />

down <strong>and</strong> humbly worship the Enlightened One three<br />

times; after that, he should recite the following<br />

349

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!