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The Essentials of Practice and Attainment
“Urgently Applying the Mind” – truthful words help us to recognize our shortcomings so that we can transform. Usually, we only like to hear gentle words, so it is difficult for us to accept the truth, but in the Dharma door of shining light at Plum Village, direct words are not criticism but words of love to help us transform. In the Dharma door of beginning anew, when writing a shining light letter, we always praise the positive points first before mentioning the negative ones, helping the person being shined upon to practice receiving and transforming.
The three tasks of a practitioner are:
- Cleansing the mind like pouring water, scrubbing so that the mind becomes clear, reflecting the truth like a mirror.
- Cultivating virtue like planting a tree, weeding, tilling the soil, nurturing so that understanding, love, inclusiveness, and patience may grow.
- Leaving no trace means not leaving behind any marks, not boasting, living in seclusion like a dragon in the deep sea, withdrawing to train oneself without being dependent on praise.
The spirit of practice needs to preserve three energies: essence, vitality, and spirit, and to train the spirit of the dragon and the horse – the strength of the dragon and the horse – to end useless agitation, using that energy to cleanse the mind, cultivate virtue, leave no trace, hide one’s name, and practice deep meditation. True meditation is “A special transmission outside the scriptures, not relying on words and letters, directly pointing to the human mind, seeing one’s true nature and becoming Buddha”, going beyond skillful means to let the mind be in harmony with the profound essence, living in peace and freedom amidst the ever-changing flow of life.