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Introduction
How to Use This Material
The material in this article originated from a series of talks given by Gwo Lei, a disciple of Master Hua, to a group of young adults during a weeklong Buddhist practice retreat. In particular, the retreat was a Guan Yin recitation session at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB). Although the talks were given in this context, the principles apply to any type of Buddhist retreat and in everyday life. Each section is labeled with an organizing topic for easy reference. We hope this booklet is informative and helps you in your daily practice or even inspires you to try one of these retreats yourself.
This article is divided into eight sections and arranged so that the concepts build upon each other.
Part 1, “Karma”
describes the accumulation of our past thoughts, words, and deeds that form our sense of identity. In this section, we begin to understand a little bit about how karma works as well as how to gain freedom from our past karma.
Part 2, “Mindfulness”
discusses a great and simple tool that we can use to become aware of and examine our moment-to-moment experience. By being mindful, we can catch that point where our mind makes contact with the outside world and begin to understand the nature of our experience.
Part 3, “Patience”
points out a very important aspect of our practice. Along with mindfulness, we try to slow down and observe before creating any additional karma, hopefully gaining a split second of insight before succumbing to a habitual reaction.
Part 4, “Desire and Fear”
examines how many of our decisions are based from either attraction or aversion. Cultivating patience, however, gives us the space to allow both desire and fear to pass, so that we can make clearer and wiser decisions.
Part 5, “Ego and Self”
explores how the sum total of these accumulated actions and experiences seek to continue acting and perceiving the same way as before. In a retreat, we try to set aside judgments, comforts, habits, likes, and dislikes that arise from the ego and self. This way we gain some freedom from our karmic patterns of thought and action.
Part 6, “True Listening”
delves into how we can practice deep listening by suspending judgments produced by the self and ego and not reacting habitually to what other people are saying. In setting aside our own desires, we can begin to listen to others from their context, and with the principle of compassion, we listen with a kind regard for other people, which ultimately allows for true relationships.
Part 7, “Parents, the True Test of Listening”
looks at our parents as one of the best relationships in which we can truly practice listening. Since our parents are so close to us, we have many habitual patterns of interacting with them. Oftentimes just a word from them will cause us to be upset or to overreact in some other way. Here is the true test of listening. We need to get out of our own interpretations of reality in order to hear what they are really saying. When we can really listen deeply to our parents, without judgment, attachment, or ego, our relationship with them can truly develop and grow.
Part 8, “Continuous Practice”
advocates on-going application of these techniques whereby we find that we have a little more freedom and peace from moment to moment.
