2019 NYE - Practice Moment by Moment

February 4th, 2019 was the Lunar New Years Eve of Pig. Monastic and lay sanghas gathered at Ling Jiou Mountain to celebrate. By welcoming a new year, we can’t stop to work hard on our practice. I (Master Hsin Tao) take Dharma practice as the basis and Buddha activities  as the root. This reminds us of our quest to uncover our nature.

What is our basis? It is our nature. Dharma practice is all about realizing our nature, and then, entering our primordial awareness. By integrating with our primordial awareness can our root be planted. “Path is shown with basis established”. Having to solidify our basis, the path will naturally be shown.

Everyone must practice Chan daily. Only through Chan practice can our mind return home. With it, we can let go of all conditions and enter the realm of emptiness-clarity. By solidifying the foundation, we’d find all situations to be stabilized and comfortable.
 
Once we uncover our true nature and examine the nature of emptiness - we’re detached from fame, gain, and relationship problems. We can live our life with clarity, something that every practitioner needs. With clarity, one can contemplate clearly and analyze thoroughly. Thus, we can liberate from cyclic living and dying, as well as afflictions.

Impermanence can happen at any time. Do not cling on to greediness and attachments.
 
Keep our mind in clarity. That’s why ethical disciplines are extremely important to follow. Ethical disciplines are our guideline and our way of life. Living by disciplines is also our love for sentient beings. If disciplines are not practiced properly, it means that our compassion is not enough. In order to accomplish our practice, we must observe disciplines mindfully.

Meditative stabilization balances our life by taming our habitual tendencies. To do so, we must practice Chan. Wisdom is about mindful awareness and observation. Be aware that all the impermanent changes are:
 
"Magical illusion, dewdrop, bubble, Dream, lightning or a cloud”
 
Keep this in mind often, we’d realize notionlessness eventually. May you all find happiness with Dharma practice; find our space from serving and dedicating life for others.