Contemplation

Today, I was in my discussion group for the Sixth Patriarch's Platform Sutra as usual--and after four chapters I realized that contemplation and reflection seem to be more important key factors than I thought...and since it is raining outside at the current moment, I thought I should take the moment to verbally reflect a little bit if you don't mind.

I've been practicing this thing called Buddhism for more than 15 years now. Well, that's an incorrect number, that should be the amount of years I was exposed to Buddhism, the amount of time I actually spent into studying the teachings of Buddhism would probably be about more or less than five years. So what does that mean? I took a circle for ten years around the precious mountain of Dharma but was never able to get into the mountain until that much time ago and I do not plan to leave that mountain empty handed! As they say, 入寶山不要空手而歸!

I do repent that for all those years I've wasted making circles and making my share of criticisms about the whole deal though, every time i reminisce of those moments I shake myself out of it and think, "What kind of a person was I back then?

Since I started reading sutras, there were two sutras that have so far touched my heart about the Dharma in this age--one is the Avatamsaka Sutra's Samanthabadra Bodhisattva's Chapter of Vows and Virtue, the other is the Platform Sutra.

I was very touched by Samanthabadra Bodhisattva's great cultivation and in the chapter of sutra it described his ten great vows so well. I've also read the Ksitigharba Sutra but unfortunately my affinity isn't as strong with that sutra but I do admire the virtuous Bodhisattva for such a great vow. One of these days, just one of these days, I'd like to visit the holy mountains in China, just to get a feel that sense of closeness.

The Platform Sutra, little by little I start to understand it more, and at different levels since my colleagues and I have been working on this sutra since October. I admire the teachings from the sutra, and I admire the literal structure of the sutra. I believe that this is one of the more significant sutras that entails so much meaning in so few words.

I'm not going to dwell in the past, but I do hope that in the future I can put more time into studying the teachings, and apparently studying classical Chinese since some of it I have completely forgotten since college. I also hope that I can accomplish that goal via the coming together of the causes and conditions to stablize our current economy so that I do not have to worry about monetary things that obstruct my study.