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The Net of Doubts is Multilayered, the Torch of Wisdom Illuminates Myriad Paths
The Winter Retreat at the Ten Thousand Stars Meditation Hall has only 20 days left. In Lower Hamlet, there are two new parallel verses: “The stream flows gently with the nectar of compassion” and “The forest sings softly, echoing ten thousand stars.” In the Buddha’s teaching, there are five inner sources of energy (the Five Powers) that must be generated not only during sitting meditation or walking meditation, but in every activity, because body and mind are like an energy factory.
- Faith—the first source of energy—does not come from words or the persuasion of others, but arises from wisdom and direct experience. Doubt dims the light of the Dharma door and makes our steps unsteady; only when we use the “torch of insight to illuminate every path” and dissolve the net of doubt does true faith naturally arise.
- Practicing mindful breathing is the main means to cultivate true faith: when we place our whole mind on the in-breath, letting go of regrets about the past and worries about the future, we witness freedom in each moment; from this, joy, concentration, and faith are nurtured through genuine experience.