Ego and Practice

Question: Could you please advise on how ego plays a part in daily Buddhist practice. Does ego prevent us from the mindfulness needed to relinquish attachments and is there "good ego" that helps our practice.

 

Response: Good question Bill, thank you. Ego plays a very important part because it keeps distracting us from our practice. When we sit in meditation or do prostrations, our "ego" keeps interrupting us with "I want to be comfortable! This hurts." When we practice giving, our "ego" prompts "Don't give that away, you might want it someday."

Or how about that "Hey, we've worked hard today, have another slice of pizza." (Okay, I'll personally confess to that one. But I have been working very hard. Honest.) When we want to practice patience, ego pops up with "I don't want to wait quietly in line, I want service now! Where's my double Java Chip Frappuccino Light?" (Had to go to Starbuck's website for that one.) 

Ego constantly tries to distract us from our mindfulness to relinquish attachments and aversions because it wants to be the center of attention.

As for a "good ego"—what's good is our true nature. It doesn't ask what's in it for me, but rather, how can I help others.

Above all Worry and Care

A laywoman once approached a well-known Elder Master and asked: “I have recited the Buddha’s name for some time now, but have not seen any sign of progress. Can you explain to me why this is so?"

The abbot said, "Reciting the Buddha’s name is not difficult; the difficulty lies in (1) perseverance. Perhaps you have not recited regularly and in a persevering manner.”

The laywoman replied, “You are entirely right. I am usually interrupted in my recitation and have not been persevering, because of family obligations. From now on, I will put aside all distractions and vow to keep reciting exactly as taught.”

Some time later, she returned and asked, “Since receiving your instructions last time, I have put aside all external distractions and recited the Buddha’s name regularly, every day. Why is it that I still do not see any results?”

The abbot replied, “Reciting the Buddha’s name is not difficult; the difficulty lies in perseverance. Persevering is not difficult; the difficulty lies in (2) being single-minded. Although, on the surface, you may have put all distractions aside, in your mind you still worry about possessions and property and are still attached to children and family. You have neither discarded worry nor eliminated the root of love-attachment. How can you achieve one-pointedness of mind and see Amitabha Buddha?”

Hearing this, the woman sighed aloud “That is so true, Master! Although I have seemingly abandoned all distractions, my mind is still preoccupied with them. From now on, I vow to disregard everything and recite the Buddha’s name singlemindedly.”

Thereupon she went home and, from that time on, each time her children or anyone else sought her advice or confided in her, she would invariably reply, “I want peace of mind, and do not wish to be bothered by anything.” For this reason, everyone referred to her as “the woman who is above all worry and care.”

A few years later, she went to bow to the abbot at his temple, saying, “Thanks to your advice and teaching, I have now achieved one-pointedness of mind and have seen Amitabha Buddha. I have come to pay my respects and take leave of you, Abbot, because I will soon be reborn in the Pure Land.”

The laywoman in our story achieved liberation because she was enlightened to two principles: perseverance and single-mindedness. Thus, to be successful, the Pure Land practitioner should consider everything, from personal possessions and property to family and friends, to be illusory and phantom-like, coming together temporarily and then disintegrating.

If we care about family and friends, we should ensure our own rebirth and liberation and then rescue them. This is true affection! Therefore, to recite the Buddha’s name effectively, we should not only ignore one hundred distractions, we should discard all distractions, be they one thousand or tens of thousands!

~ Seeker’s Glossary of Buddhism

Chanting Becomes a Habit

 

To attain the state of One Mind Undisturbed,
there is only one method.

In the beginning, when one chants,
one must count the beads
and be very aware of the count.

One must determine the number of chants
one will practice every day
and practice accordingly without fail.

After one has practiced like this a long time,
the chanting will become a habit
and one will chant naturally.

At that time,
it does not matter
whether one counts or not while chanting.

~ Master Ouyi ~ 

Truth or Idle Gossip?

In class on Monday, we were discussing how we often jump to conclusions based on our own opinions. Unfortunately, we know little about what is going on in the minds of others, so our views tend to be inaccurate.

An example was given of a woman whose daughter was named Amelia Earhart. Naturally people wondered why the mother would give her daughter this name. We can probably imagine what people wondered about. Did the daughter like being named for a famous person? Did the kids at school tease her? Would she have liked a less noticeable name?

Many years after learning of the name, Melissa told us that she learned how the name had come about. The mother had been married to a man with a fairly common name, so had thoughtfully named her daughter Amelia so part of her name would be more unusual. Some time later Amelia's parents were divorced and, eventually, the mother remarried. The man's name was Earhart. The man loved Amelia and wanted to adopt her and give her his name. This is how the daughter became "Amelia Earhart".

We know so little but that rarely keeps us from forming conclusions about other people. But our understanding is limited even though our conclusions may be prolific.

We really need to wait until we have all the facts.

An Image of Amitabha for Someone Who is Dying

 

Question: When someone is dying, is it important to show the person an image of Amitabha Buddha? Where can I get one?

Response: If the person was a Pure Land Buddhist, it is extremely important to have a picture or statue of Amitabha Buddha for them to see and focus on. Normally, the image never goes at the foot of the bed, but when a person is dying it needs to be placed or hung so the practitioner can easily see it. So at the foot of the bed is permissible at this time.

If the person does not have any religious beliefs, but in their final days they learn of the Pure Land teachings and wish to be reborn there, an image can be obtained from a Pure Land practice center. If there is no center close by, an image can be obtained from the Amitabha Buddhist Society of USA or the Amitabha Buddhist Library in Chicago. Also, you might find a society closer to you by checking on the list at Amitbaha Pureland.

But we need to remember that it is exceptionally rare for a person who never knew or practiced the teachings to do so in their final days. For this to happen, they need extraordinarily good roots, causes and conditions. So, it would be wise to take an opportunity to speak with a person when they were still well and not wait till their last moments.

If the person had other beliefs, we need to respect them. This is not the time to try to "convert" someone. Encourage them to go to heaven if that is their wish. Remind them of all the good things they have done in their lives and do what you can to help them die peacefully.