Practice in lay life Discourse to the White-clad disciple e-talk Plum Blossom Sangha Austin, Honey Locust Sangha Omaha, Blue Ocean Sangha Miami, Heartland Sangha KansasCity

Introduction The 4 th e-talk of the 1 st of 4 year training program of the OI Breathe Now How (today’s talk)

The sutra opening The Buddha teaching to: – Shariputra – Anathapindika and – 500 lay men and women “….if they study and practice the Five Mindfulness Trainings and the Four recollections, they will realize without hardship the capacity to abide happily in the present moment” Buddhism is an art, a way of life – Happiness for self and others – In the here and the now – Faith in something true, good and beautiful

Contemplation of Buddha 1 of 2 My mindfulness shining near and far 10 characteristics of the Buddha 36 beauties; visualization Recitations Art works, statues, prostrations Reading – Old path white clouds

Contemplation of Buddha 2 of 2 Awakening, enlightenment, understanding and love are very concrete: you can touch it and taste it Faith born from the results of the practice (daily food): the mother of all realizations Bodhicitta: faith in something True, Good and Beautiful (energy) Aspiration for a more meaningful life Faith in Buddha and self: protection and shining light – wisdom Evoking the name, contemplating: reading, talking, singing … about his life, his actions, his love, his wisdom A refuge “As a result, their thoughts are clear, they feel joy, and the arrive at the first of the 4 contemplations, abiding happily in the present moment with ease and without any hardships”

Contemplation of Dharma my breathing, guarding body and mind the teachings, the practices, which bring about mindfulness, serenity, understanding, love and emancipation it is subtle, deep and lovely reciting the sutras, practicing the way of awareness good for all walks of life (the ocean: deep and shallow; the taste of liberation) you can taste it for yourself, here and now relief of suffering: transform and liberate timelessness, universal selective watering prajna, maitri and karuna are fruits of the practice, not concepts to discuss and to study

Contemplation of the Sangha my 5 skandhas, working in harmony the community that practices the dharma under the guidance of the Buddha four-fold sangha; manifestation of the dharma and the Buddha on the way of liberation and awakening; understanding and love living the dharma; making it alive living according to the 5 Mindfulness Trainings, realizing samadhi, prajna, vimukti (liberation) no coming, no going, no being, no non-being an inspiration, a consolation and a refuge its qualities: harmony and awareness individual practice makes us become better elements of the sangha; quality of sangha improves sangha building is a practice

Contemplation of the Mindfulness Trainings the Mindfulness Trainings: – 3 parts: the essence, the form and its effects – faith and belief: it is possible practice, experience and understand, taste the results they become essential if we do not want to fall into the realms of sufferings – peace and happiness – guiding light – a refuge – True, Good and Beautiful Living in mindfulness, living in accord with the Mindfulness Trainings – Not imposed on us – A protection and a practice tool – Mindfulness brings about understanding and love: NOT blind faith but a practice that is born out of Mindfulness of suffering – Keep us in the land of the Buddha; protection and refuge; in the realms of the 4 immeasurable minds and out of the realms of animals, hungry ghosts – Interbeing nature with Dharma and Buddha – Necessary for the successful practice of mindfulness meditation

Interdependence True Buddha: – mindfulness, understanding and love True Dharma: – impermanence, non-self and nirvana True Sangha = manifestation of the Buddha and the Dharma – sila, smrti, prajna; openness, freshness and happiness Mindfulness trainings: – Each one contains the 3 Jewels – Each contains the 4 other ones

Practice in daily life Wake up Austin Tricycle: your life is your practice