Today in a brief Dharma presentation I offer an introduction to a new series I will explore over time. In this exploration I will provide various practices individuals may choose to engage in. While there are many things an individual may choose to do in order to enhance their personal connection to Buddhism and daily life, what I will focus on and teach are practices that can be supported by doctrine.
This is not to say that individual spiritual practices are incorrect or wrong. If what you do enhances you connection to Buddhism in you life then by all means I believe you should continue.
As a teacher and as someone who presents teachings from a position of “authority” granted by my ordination I feel it is my responsibility to ensure as best as I am able that what I teach has a doctrinal basis.
When I use the term authority you will notice I enclosed the term in single quotation marks. I did this to offer a qualification, which is I am not the sole authority, I am not superior to others, my knowledge is not all inclusive, and so my authority is limited and not absolute.
From that limited perspective I will share smaller individual practices, some of which everyone already knows, and others are more obscure and folks may wish to know about them, and so I am sharing that information.
My sources are not scarce or hidden. All are easily available to anyone who wishes to spend the money on the books and invest the time to read and research. In a way all I am doing is being a conduit.
This will not be an all inclusive listing of all the various possible doctrinally based practices. I am not sure that would be possible, though Chih-i perhaps may come close. My sources go beyond his writing and into other Buddhist cannons.
You are free, of course,, to agree or disagree, choose or ignore what I offer. At the very least I hope it is encouraging enough for you to contemplate your own spiritual journey and practice.
I hope you enjoy this video.
