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Short Talk at Sprit Rock
Using incense is a means of communication with ancestors, the Buddha, and loved ones. In the story of David, he attempts to communicate with Angelina by burning physical incense, but she does not appear until he remembers the heart incense. There are five kinds of incenses of the heart:
- The incense of the precept: concrete manifestations of mindfulness, such as deep listening and loving speech, to avoid creating suffering.
- The incense of concentration: living deeply every moment to see things clearly.
- The incense of insight: shining the way near and far.
- The incense of liberation: being no longer caught by anger or hatred.
- The incense of the fruit and the flowers of liberation: the nourishment that relieves suffering.
When David burns these incenses from his heart, Angelina returns, and they support each other in practice. Through the balm of compassion and understanding, communication is restored with family, friends, and teachers. The deepest aspiration is not to hold a high position or make money, but to be really happy and share that happiness. Transformation takes place through practice; for some, it is short, while others need more time and the embrace of love and patience. Patience is the sign of true love.
If you practice the Dharma, you get the kind of energy described as faith. Faith in a Buddhist context is not a notion or an idea, but the fruit of practice. It provides the energy to stand firm in the face of difficulty and prevents being drowned in the ocean of despair and suffering.
