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Dharma Talk – Prajñā, The Fourfold Sangha (2)
Mindfulness is the energy that brings us back to the present moment through attention to an object—our breath, our steps, our body, our feelings, our mind, or the objects of mind. When mindfulness follows wholesome objects, happiness arises and this is called right mindfulness; if it embraces thoughts that cause suffering, it is wrong mindfulness.
In right mindfulness, the four practices of recollection always accompany us, bringing happiness and liberation:
- Recollection of the Buddha—contemplating the ten qualities of the Tathagata (Thus Come One, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly Enlightened One… World-Honored One) and bringing them into the present moment.
- Recollection of the Dharma—touching the well-spoken teachings, experiencing them directly, being free from afflictions, transcending time, coming to see and leading the way upward.
- Recollection of the Sangha—taking refuge in the true community, upholding the precepts, practicing mindfulness, concentration, and insight together in the community.
- Recollection of the Precepts—practicing the precepts as a foundation for protection and nourishment of happiness.
The Earth Touching Repentance Practice is a practice of repentance in the form of a heartfelt dialogue with the World-Honored One, combining aspiration and the Three Touchings of the Earth (each touching with three breaths) to make direct contact with the Buddha in this very moment. The Buddha is first of all a historical teacher, who attained powerful mindfulness, concentration, and insight, and continues to manifest in many forms, like a cloud transforming into water, tea, or the very energy of awakening within us. The practitioner uses mindfulness, concentration, and insight to cultivate “holiness” in oneself, from which great understanding gives rise to great compassion.
