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The Essentials of Practice
Intellect, emotion, and will are the three aspects of the mind, and the word mind in Eastern culture includes wisdom (mind), feeling (heart), and volition (will). “Beginner’s mind” (初心, the beginner’s mind) is the initial aspiration of the practitioner, arising from latent seeds of practice, called “bodhicitta” – the inner motivation that brings forth a great source of energy to nourish the path of awakening and to help all beings.
For the mind of understanding (bodhicitta) and the mind of loving-kindness (the mind of compassion) to bear fruit, the practitioner cultivates and tends the “garden” of daily practice through:
- Mindfulness – keeping the mind dwelling in the present moment
- Concentration – focusing and stabilizing the mind
- Insight – looking deeply into the true nature (seeing clearly into the nature of mind)
If the beginner’s mind is eroded, the path of practice will fail; on the other hand, mindfulness and right concentration will forever nourish the first love of understanding and loving, and at the same time strengthen the capacity to bring happiness and liberation to oneself and to all beings.