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The Sangha Sings in the Mountain Valley Because Spring Calls 2001
Skillfulness in our conduct helps us to maintain our integrity, to turn difficulties into successes, and to transform those around us into our companions on the path. To maintain a solid bodhicitta in the monastic life, we need to practice the fine manners and get in touch with our spiritual and blood ancestors in every moment. When our monastic practice has taken root and entered a simple and pure life, difficulties will gradually pass like the night to make way for favorable conditions, just as “the rooster has just crowed for the morning, and the sky has just dawned.”
The advice to continue learning and practicing the Dharma is expressed through two things: receiving more of the golden words and profound meaning of the Dharma; and practicing the offering of incense along with lighting the lamp of the Dharma teacher to help the world. The five kinds of incense we need to offer every day are:
- The incense of Precepts
- The incense of Concentration
- The incense of Insight
- The incense of Liberation
- The incense of the Knowledge and Vision of Liberation
This process helps the practitioner fully practice the three aspects of study, reflection, and practice.
For a monastic facing the choice of whether to leave or to stay, the most important thing is to remember the initial Giving Rise to Our Aspiration and to focus on learning and practicing in order to build a solid foundation. When our roots are not yet solid, we should not rush to take care of other matters, because the opportunity to serve and repay our gratitude still stretches long before us.
Part of the following collection
The Four Elements of True Love