FLYING PRACTICE
By Ven. Shih Jingang
Today I sit alone in a house. The government of the country in which I live has requested that I stay here in isolation for the health and safety of the community both here and abroad. Countless others are doing the same thing, except that some call it a forced lock down, or an obstacle to their free movement. I see this as an opportunity to practice.
The Buddha taught that the suffering connected with birth, sickness, old age and death is a fact of life for sentient beings in Samsara. But so is the possibility of transcendence from Samsaric suffering.
So, for a practitioner, the question is not just “Why?” but also “How?” Why do I/we suffer and, how do I/we overcome suffering? The answer to the former is found in intuitively recognizing (the 3 Poisons): harmful habits of attachment, anger and ignorance; and the answer to the latter lies in resolving to study and practice the Noble Eightfold Path (the antidote) and, fully realizing Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings.
At the heart of the Bodhisattva path is Compassion and Wisdom in perfect balance. It must be, for a bird needs two wings to be able to fly.
These are challenging times for many. At this moment, how do you feel? Like a bird trapped in a cage, or do you see this as an opportunity to learn how to fly?
The choice is yours.
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