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The Perfection of Patience: Three Sounds of the Bell, the Heart of the River
Bringing the monastery retreat home by inviting the bell in the morning, before lunch, and in the afternoon so that the whole family “hears and knows to practice”: three sounds of the bell, corresponding to nine breaths, creating a space to stop, to settle, and to smile before the meal. The sound of the bell is considered as the call of the Buddha, inviting us to return to our breath, our heart, and to each other, even if there are only three or four people in the family.
Continuing the topic of “inner space,” today we explore paramita (perfection), the Dharma door to cross over from the shore of suffering to the shore of well-being. Among the six paramitas, today is the perfection of forbearance (ksanti), with two main aspects:
- To endure = to accept (accepter les choses telles qu’elles sont)
- To contain = to have the capacity to contain (containing capacity)
Illustrated by the image of “a handful of salt in a small bowl” compared to “pouring it into a river”: our heart needs to be large enough so that the saltiness of discomfort does not make us suffer.
The goal of practice is to transform “the small pouch” into “a large suitcase,” for the heart to become a river, a space that can embrace everything without obstruction. Each day, ask yourself, “How much has my heart grown?” and continue to practice—next week we will continue with the practice of Touching the Earth, learning from the earth the capacity to endure and to transform.