Self-bondage

Yutang Lin


Even though one should practice careful reflection on intentions,
Do not get stuck in worries that confine one's mind and activity.
All Dharma practices should aim at approaching emancipation,
Recite Buddha's name and do prostrations to realize simplicity.

Comments:

Some practitioners, due to their habit of pondering over matters, would get stuck in constant reflections on their own intentions to the extent that they sustained all sorts of precautions to any speech or behavior, and found it difficult to make any significant move because they could not decide what to do would be more appropriate.

One should realize that the goal of Dharma is to lead sentient beings toward liberation but not to increase their entanglements. If a practitioner realized that the above-mentioned puzzlement had indeed arisen, then the solution would be to drop the habit of constant reflection on intentions, and instead endeavor to cultivate practices, such as repetition of Buddha's name or mantras and prostration to Buddha images, that are beyond conceptual thinking. It is important to develop the habit of maintaining regular sessions for such practices on a daily basis. If one could do so regularly and maintain it for the rest of one's lifetime, then one could expect to gradually realize the flavor of liberation through a mind in simplicity.


Written in Chinese and translated on March 30, 2005
El Cerrito, California


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