Let me say a few more words before I finish regarding the practice of this mindfulness or mindfulness. Traditionally, Buddhism has four levels of practice. First of all, a person learns awareness, attentiveness to the body, its position and movements. He learns when walking to be aware that he is walking, when talking, to be aware of what he is saying, while sitting, to be aware that he is sitting. Most people don't know exactly what they are doing most of the time. They are not conscious, so we learn to be aware of all movements and positions of the body. This is the first. The culmination of this practice, by the way, is that we concentrate on the process of inhalation and exhalation, which is in some way the subtlest of the body's actions, and this is the means that leads to concentration.

Second, we are aware of our emotional reactions. If we feel happiness, we know that we are happy, we are aware of it. If we are unhappy, we are aware of it too. If we are upset or excited, we are aware of it. If we are calm and relaxed, we are aware of it. If we experience fear, we are aware of it and all the time we go deeper and deeper and deeper into the mind, into the unconscious depths, becoming more aware of all those unconscious emotional processes that go on in all of us almost all the time. So, this is awareness at the level of emotions, emotional reactions.

Then thirdly, awareness of thoughts. We usually do not know, we do not understand this, but all the time hundreds and thousands of thoughts pass through our mind, like a gigantic stream, a huge Niagara of thoughts, so to speak. Sometimes when I'm giving a talk, when I'm giving a lecture, I just kind of look at the audience, look at the people present, and usually you can see who's paying attention, who's following the lecture, and who's not. And almost literally you can sometimes see thoughts running across people's faces, like little shadows or tiny birds flying across the face, one after another, and you know that their mind is somewhere very far away. They are thinking about something else - about who they are going to meet tomorrow, about what they want to eat in the evening after they leave the meeting, about what they were told last week - something like this . Some distant dreamy pictures they don’t know what. This is the state of most people almost all the time. So if you suddenly ask them, “What are you thinking?”, they will have to stop and think, “Well, what was I thinking?” – because they are not aware of their thinking, they do not know what they are thinking about. This is the condition of most people. Therefore, we should learn to be aware of our thoughts, to be aware of what we are thinking about, not only from one period of meditation to another, but from moment to moment, from moment to moment. We must imbue the mental level with awareness. And if we do all this, if we are aware at the level of the body and its movements, aware at the emotional level, also aware at the level of thoughts, then we will become more and more aware of how conditioned we are.

All our body movements are reactions. All our emotional experiences are reactions. All our thoughts, our judgments are reactions. And we will begin, so to speak, to feel: “Well, what about me? Who am I? I’m just a set of mechanisms, just a system of teeth and wheels, I’m really no better, nothing but that.” But from this awareness, as I said, from our own conditioning, our own unawareness, arises true awareness, true creative power.

And finally, fourthly, there are even more high level awareness, and in the beginning it is awareness of our own creative existence, but, ultimately, awareness of the Absolute, awareness of the beyond, awareness of Reality itself.

This is the highest form. This is what, so to speak, cuts off all lower forms of awareness as unnecessary and useless, so that from moment to moment, moment by moment, one can be aware of Reality itself. There are many ways to do this. The one I want to mention is constantly repeating in your mind what in Buddhism is called a mantra. Mantra is not meant to simply concentrate the mind. Its significance goes far beyond this. This can be said to be a kind of archetypal sound symbol. But it also has an effect - if one repeats it not mechanically, of course - if one repeats the mantra, establishing contact with it, constantly being aware of the higher spiritual realities or one's own true nature, so to speak, which it reflects, symbolizes , moreover, embodies. This is why in some Buddhist traditions, including the Pure Land tradition that we heard such a wonderful story about this morning, this practice of repetition is emphasized so much. Because she constantly establishes contact and maintains awareness in relation to Reality. Even if you say “Namo amida butsu,” a salute to the Buddha of Infinite Light, if you repeat it all the time, then in the depths of your mind, no matter how dim, no matter how distant, no matter how vague, there is some awareness of the Buddha of Infinite Light. There is some awareness that is shining somewhere in the universe, shining somewhere, you hardly know where, there is this infinite light that we reflect through the symbol of Buddha, which radiates light in all directions, on all beings and all things, who illuminates everything, who, so to speak, pours out his mercy, his grace, on everything. If you, as I said, repeat this greeting, somewhere in the depths of the mind in some corner there will always be this faint awareness of the Absolute Reality.

This is why such practice is emphasized in so many different forms, in so many different schools of Buddhism. It is simply a means of maintaining our contact, our awareness of the absolute all the time. So if we can practice mindfulness, if we can practice mindfulness in this way on all these four levels, at least to some extent, for us that will be the beginning of our highest, spiritual, creative, truly living life. In Buddhism, as I said, there are many exercises to help us develop awareness, mindfulness, but we need to be very careful and observant so that they do not become mechanical. Those of you who practice, for example, mindful breathing, counting your breaths, know that even this can become mechanical. You can keep doing it - some people are quite adept at it - keep doing it, while at the same time letting your mind wander, get carried away and be in the clouds. Some people are so smart that they can do all the exercises perfectly, perfectly, count from one to ten, from ten to one, over and over, for hours, and at the same time constantly remain in thought. This means that everything has become mechanical. So we need to be very careful that our very practice of mindfulness, which is the catalyst for breaking down mechanicalness, does not become mechanical, so to speak. And this implies a much larger, much more comprehensive approach to all our religious beliefs and all our religious practices, which, as I said, too often become simply part of our general mechanicalness. If I hear someone say, “Oh yeah, sure, I'm going to the Saturday seminar. I always go,” I’ll probably say, “Please don’t come.” It becomes a habit, and from a spiritual point of view, any habit is a bad habit. Even in the East there are teachers of spirituality who have the habit - but of course I shouldn't talk about the habit, but sometimes they do it - of destroying the religious habits of their students. If a student, say, is used to meditating from six to eight, the teacher forces him to meditate here and now, for example, from ten to twelve. Or if he has a habit of reading religious books at a certain time, the teacher forbids him. If a student is used to getting up early every day, he forces him to get up late. If a student has a habit of going to bed late, the teacher makes him go to bed early, and so on. If a student is used to meditating during the day, the teacher makes him meditate all night! And so he destroys his pattern, his repeating pattern, which becomes, so to speak, mechanical, and you can see this in so many things, in so many areas. If you look at the religious world, you can see religious groups, religious organizations, which have become just machines. They function perfectly, gracefully, smoothly, but just like machines. Not like live movements. They don't flow, they don't bloom, they don't develop. There is no creativity in them. The same reasons over and over again, the same old pattern of activity.

So we need to be very careful with this. We need to watch. And of course, first of all, we need to observe ourselves, and although we ourselves - and when I say ourselves, I mean the Friends of the Western Sangha - although we are, we hope, busy creating models, in some way, of activity in future, retreat weeks and meditation classes and must remember this at all times, we hope that it does not become just a routine. This does not become another model under the label of "Buddhist activity." Every moment we must carefully undermine it, weaken it, allow it to flow, free it. Otherwise we'll just go down. We will become another branch of the good old firm, so to speak, you can call it an institution or whatever you like, which has sunk to the bottom of destruction, so to speak, to the level of the reactive mind and reactive consciousness. Sometimes people in the East told me with pride: “I was born a Buddhist!” Well, how could you be born a Buddhist?

You cannot be born a Buddhist. This is all the reactive mind in action. You can make yourself a Buddhist creatively, but you cannot be born a Buddhist - that is impossible. You cannot simply borrow Buddhism from somewhere outside, from your parents or group, even your class, even your teacher. You can't just accept it ready-made and react to it. Hints, or so to speak, incentives, inspiration come from the outside, but you create it inside. I think everything became clear to you - at least I hope it was obvious - from the lecture I gave the day before yesterday when we talked about archetypal symbolism. There is a small stimulus from the outside that ignites something inside, but this is an internal process, creative process, the inner flowering that is of paramount importance.

Therefore, this is what we have to be aware of constantly, these two processes of the mind: the lower mind, the relative mind. Reactive process and creative process. The fact that we are here at all, that we can understand these words, the fact that we can even laugh at ourselves, shows that the germ of awareness is already there, as are the germs of creativity. We must remember this all the time, remember this difference.

Try to strengthen, increase and inspire the creative side and allow the reactive side to simply weaken and wither, so to speak. And we can remember this with the help, with the support of these two great symbols, that is, the Wheel of Life, to which we are mostly attached now, symbolizing the reactive mind, and the Path, or, if you like, the circle and, on the other hand, - spirals.

We must leave this circle behind and be understood higher and higher in the rings of the spiral until what we call Nirvana, Enlightenment or, if you like, the Pure Land, which we must sooner or later get to.

Starting a regular meditation practice means a change in your daily routine. Include a short meditation in daily life relatively simple, but performing the Fundamental Exercises of the Great Seal (Tib. ngondro) is more difficult. This will take more time. Here you will find some ideas and tips to help you take your first steps along the way.

When we Buddhists hear the word “practice,” most of us first think of the practice of meditation. But Buddhist practice is more than that. There are many meditations that do not lead to Liberation and Enlightenment. On a practical level, with the help of meditation, you can develop any quality of a person, both positive and negative. For meditation to reveal something positive in our mind, for it to lead us along the path to Enlightenment, meditation must be supported by pure vision and right behavior - this is the complete Buddhist practice. Liberating vision comes from familiarity with the Buddha's explanations of the true nature of the mind; we listen to them, reflect on them, ask questions. Then we have inner confidence in these explanations. The view that leads through practice to Enlightenment is to realize the unity of the experiencer, the object of experience and the experience itself as parts of a single whole, as well as the understanding that all the qualities of Buddha nature are already inherent in our mind.

Thanks to meditation, what has been understood turns into experience - “falls from the head to the heart.” This path is not so much about accumulating knowledge as it is about recognizing the nature of the mind beyond judgment and concepts.

The idea of ​​right behavior, in turn, does not come from following any pattern, as happens in theistic religions of faith. Rather, it is a well-motivated recommendation from the Buddha that will help one experience harmonious human development. We should see the Buddha as a friend with better vision - he draws our attention to the results of this or that behavior and gives advice on how to maintain the achieved level of development.

These three pillars of Buddhist practice go hand in hand. Meditation without correct vision will not lead to Enlightenment. Meditation without understanding the essence of the mind that experiences all phenomena, and the essence of all experienced phenomena, in Buddhism is compared to helplessly wandering in the fog.

On the other hand, someone who understands the Buddhist view but never meditates may become a profoundly knowledgeable student who never masters his disturbing emotions or understands the essence of Buddhist teachings. He can be compared to a person who theoretically knows the path, but does not actually follow it.

Finally, even with good meditation, it is difficult to develop right view if one ignores the Buddha's advice about right behavior in the long run. These tips are techniques to help you maintain your gains so you don't have to climb up a mountain while grasping at the safety bolts attached to its surface.

Distraction and Inspiration

Today, Diamond Way groups offer a variety of opportunities to those interested in Buddhism. You can use methods to give your life more meaning and inner richness, or you can devote yourself entirely to the step-by-step path by starting to practice Refuge and Foundational Exercises (Ngondro).

Almost everyone who would like to start a regular meditation practice faces difficulties. Countless circumstances distract us from practice and steal our time. The world seems to be conspiring to make us focus on the pictures that appear in the mind, instead of paying attention to the mind itself. Time and time again, our Dharma practice slips through the cracks and it takes a conscious effort for us to find inspiration and continue.

Fortunately, there are external and internal helpers. On an external level, contact with a group of meditating friends and a trusted connection with a Diamond Way teacher will always provide strength and inspiration. At the inner level - Refuge and altruistic motivation - the determination to follow this path for the benefit of all beings. It is important to trust that only Buddha nature will bring us and others lasting happiness. This trust cuts off all the distractions of the conditioned world, as if cold knife cuts off the oil. Pleasant things will be experienced more and more as a gift to our mind, and unpleasant things as a cleansing, dissolution of negative impressions in the mind. And then both pleasant and unpleasant experiences will not lead us astray. When trust becomes a deep inner feeling, obstacles will dissolve with every heartbeat, because we will have completely different priorities. The significance of many things that seemed most important will fade before the greatness of the view, the essence of which is the achievement of Buddhahood and the desire to lead others to this state.

The most famous example of unwavering trust that led to Enlightenment is Milarepa. Thanks to trust, he became an enlightened Buddha in one life, despite the fact that his beginning was the worst imaginable - he became the killer of 35 people. He once said, “If you do not meditate in this life, you will waste it. Make sure you have nothing to regret when your hour of death comes.” A book about the history of his journey is the greatest source of inspiration.

The basis

Trust like Milarepa’s trust cannot be turned on in oneself as easily as, for example, light is turned on. Trust needs to be developed, it requires a strong foundation that will remain motionless when the ocean of our lives becomes turbulent. The inner strength to put Dharma practice first, as well as the ability to stick to it regardless of pleasant things or purifications that come along the way, is what the Tibetans call nying-ru (heart bone). First of all, this means using the Four Fundamental Thoughts, which give us a foundation and deepen our practice, making it unshakable. The great masters have said that these Four Fundamental Thoughts are actually more important than our main meditation, because without them there can be no stability in the practice. These Four Thoughts are: We are now in a favorable situation; this may change; according to the laws of karma, we are responsible for what we are experiencing now; an unenlightened state cannot satisfy us; any happiness is nothing compared to the joy that Enlightenment brings.

Even with little initial trust in the Dharma, these teachings are understandable. But what can you think when even great masters talk about an incomplete understanding of the teachings? What they mean is that when thinking about the Four Fundamental Thoughts, it is important to transform them and not just settle for intellectual understanding. Only what has penetrated “into the bones” remains with us in life problems, and in illness, and in old age, and in death. For some, it is enough just to hear teachings about the precious human life, impermanence, karma and the shortcomings of the conditioned world, so that they are absorbed into us and change our outlook on life and the world in general. Others can listen to teachings throughout their lives and remain like stones that get wet only on the outside, but not on the inside. It is a matter of being open to the teachings and what they can do to our lives and to the situation of all beings around us.

Habits

When people asked Kala Rinpoche about problems in his practice, he often answered that they arose from a misunderstanding of at least one of the Four Fundamental Thoughts. Otherwise there would be no problems at all. The natural consequence of transforming the Four Fundamental Thoughts is to take refuge in permanent values ​​instead of fickle and rapidly changing ideas. The four thoughts prepare the mind before each meditation so that taking refuge penetrates more deeply and we can develop an enlightened attitude. Forcing yourself to practice the Dharma without this understanding makes no sense—it comes from the wrong motivation. No one can meditate like Milarepa the very next day. Sometimes people bleed their knees by doing so many prostrations in one week, but are unable to do even one in the next few months. And it doesn't work.

It is better to do as much as you can at a time, but every day. In this way, your Dharma practice can become stable and regular. Habits happen when you do the same thing over and over again, often for many lifetimes. It is hardly possible to change them at the snap of a finger; Only through patience and continued practice can habits change. An unenlightened mind is like an animal that prefers to do what it has always done: remain unenlightened.

"Noble Obligation"

The experience of the positive results of the practice and the feeling of being able to cope with oneself and the environment can arise very quickly. We will increasingly find ourselves in situations that seemed difficult before, but are no longer difficult now. This experience makes us feel how much freedom and joy awaits us along the way. If we put energy into practice from the very beginning, we quickly notice good results. This increases our confidence in the methods and we enjoy the practice more and more. The same thing happens during a course of phowa (conscious dying), in which, over a few days of intense meditation in the energy field of a powerful teacher with the power of deep blessing, incredible changes occur in the body and mind. This first quick experience is like a strong impetus for further practice.

Ideally, and this often happens, practice combines quality and quantity. Quality gives depth to practice; it is associated with understanding, deep motivation, devotion to the teacher, and empathy for other beings. Quantity means a stable habit of not being lazy and using a little more time for practice than is comfortable for us. this moment. It will always be rewarded. The Ninth Karmapa Wangchuk Dorje said: “If you meditate and strengthen your diligence when faced with difficulties, you will reap the rewards of incredible qualities.”

It is better if quality is coupled with quantity, but who succeeds in this from the very beginning? Because they are interdependent, you focus on what is closest to you. Working smartly at a certain point inevitably transforms quantity into quality. The accumulation of good impressions in the mind will open it to a wider vision; the mind will become more aware of its true nature. Careful analysis and practical use teachings will strengthen the sense of the depth of the Dharma, which, in turn, will strengthen the desire to practice.

In our Karma Kagyu tradition, also known as the school of practice, there were the most impressive realized masters in Tibet who steadfastly maintained the integrity of the lineage - in other words, they fulfilled the "noble obligation." Gampopa, his teacher Milarepa convincingly demonstrated the importance of practice. Milarepa said, “I have another profound teaching, but I cannot give it to you because it is too precious.” What could Gampopa do? He left without this teaching.

Motivation

There are two ways to motivate yourself: by thinking about the joys of Enlightenment or about the sufferings of the conditioned world. Depending on your feelings, you can alternate these methods.

The Western way of thinking is closer to the aspect of joy. You remind the mind of the boundless bliss experienced during Enlightenment; you meet with teachers who can make you feel this; read biographies of great masters where this is reflected; and imagine how wonderful it is to lead all beings to constant happiness. When the question arises, how do we know that the preliminary practices are being done properly, Shamar Rinpoche answers: you should really enjoy the practice of the Dharma.

Harnessing joy on the path to Enlightenment is considered the heart of Diamond Way Buddhism. A goal is a level at which space and joy are experienced as parts of one whole, and the most effective methods working with states of highest bliss is combined with an understanding of emptiness. Until we are enlightened, the experiencer himself feels either joy or suffering. However, in its essence, it is the highest joy, but without the idea of ​​“I” perceiving this joy. And this knowledge can be a huge source of inspiration.

The second method of motivation for practice - the suffering of samsara - as it was presented in Tibet, somewhat confuses Western people. Europeans are allergic to this approach. The rejection arose due to the centuries-old ideology of Catholicism with its threats of fire and brimstone, as well as due to the style of presentation of teachings by some representatives of Buddhism, in their own lives experienced little joy. But, without being dramatic, it’s not a bad idea to think about the suffering in the world sometimes. News from Africa, information about life in the slums of third world countries, thoughts about incurable diseases and hospitals can awaken the desire to do something for all the unfortunate people. In addition, thinking about old age, illness and death can give motivation a significant boost. At the same time, there is no need to turn the world into a valley of tears. Due to deliberately killing 35 people, Milarepa used the second approach more. He himself said that it was the fear of the karmic consequences of the negative actions he committed that led him to Enlightenment.

Whichever of the two approaches you prefer, it is important from the very beginning to develop an attitude towards the practice not only as a means of benefiting yourself, but also as a way of becoming useful to others. Only this attitude towards practice makes it truly enlightening.

Friends and helpers along the way

Only a Few Are Able to Practice Alone for a long time. Most of us benefit from being in a group and spending time with friends. For harmonious development, it is good to interact with a Dharma practicing group from time to time. In this case, you will not leave the distance of your development and will not invent your own Dharma. Friends in a group, like all experiences, should be seen as a mirror of our mind. Working together in the power field of the Diamond Way Center is the exact opposite of volunteering at your local kennel club. This kind of work touches and changes things at the deepest levels of our minds. Just as diamonds polish each other and sparkle more and more brightly with mutual friction, the joint work of friends in the centers leads to deep and intense development. No more fast way fill the mind good impressions necessary to recognize the true nature of the mind.

Through friendly exchange in the group, you will learn that everyone, like you, has the same difficulties and pleasant moments during practice, you can share experiences and contribute to the huge treasure trove of mutual exchange. Most people lead a structured lifestyle and believe that a specific place and time is very important for practice. By creating a meditation space in your apartment, perhaps with a Buddha statue or image, you will notice that it not only reminds you of the practice every time you see it, but it also attracts you more and more.

Regular meditation in a certain place creates an energy field in it that supports the practice. To develop a deep habit, you can set a time for practice. You will rarely find an opportunity for it if you wait for the right moment every time, doing other things. Many people say they meditate more when they have a busy schedule rather than when they have less to do and plenty of time to practice.

At the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries. eastern religions began active expansion into Western countries. Religions like Buddhism and Hinduism have extraordinary, incredible success there. There are many reasons for this - a tired consumer culture, imposed almost as an ideology by democratic authorities, the inferiority and one-sidedness of one’s own religious traditions, a craving for the exotic, and, of course, the desire to comprehend the secret knowledge of the East, which is the stuff of legends. This article aims to clarify only one aspect of this entire context - the basic religious practice of a converted Buddhist.

About the Buddhist path

Buddhism combines a large number of various independent schools and traditions. But they all have one common basis - all Buddhists recognize the Buddha, the Dharma (that is, the teachings of the Buddha) and the Sangha (the spiritual community of Buddhists) as the three fundamental religious values. These are the so-called three refuges. The meaning of Buddhist practice is to achieve enlightenment, the realization of Buddha nature in a person. It is in the light of this goal and for the sake of it that all rituals are performed, mantras are read, meditation is practiced, and so on. However, Buddhism has many faces, and its various denominations sometimes differ significantly from each other. Therefore, with regard to initial practice, what is required of a Japanese Zen adept is very far from what is offered to a Tibetan Gelugpa follower. We will focus mainly on the traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, since they are the most widely represented and widespread in our country, being traditional for three regions.

Independent acceptance of Buddhism

This topic needs to be touched on because many people, having read Buddhist literature, suddenly decide to become Buddhists and immediately begin to practice certain meditations or rituals. However, not all so simple. A person, of course, can and should believe in the truth of Buddhist teachings on his own. But in order to consider oneself a full-fledged Buddhist, that is, a member of the sangha, simple solution not enough. In order to enter the spiritual community, one must accept the so-called three jewels. This is otherwise called the vow of refuge. It is he who introduces a person to Buddhism. For beginners, it is very important that the first time this vow is taken by one of the authorized lama ministers. This requires a personal meeting with the lama and performing the refuge vow ceremony. Without initiation into this transmission of refuge, most practices are meaningless.

Pure Vision

The main practice of a Buddhist should be aimed at developing the skill of pure vision. The latter implies that a person must be totally and completely in the “here and now,” freeing his mind from building spatio-temporal connections. The mind should not be somewhere else in time or thinking about other places. It should reflect current reality - the time and place where a person is at the current moment. When this skill develops, the perception changes, it becomes pure. This is the first step towards discovering Buddha nature. The state of “here and now” is meditation, its inner content. Thus, a Buddhist, no matter what he is doing - drinking tea, cleaning the apartment or preparing food, should strive to remain in meditation through developing a sense of “here and now”.

Home meditations and mistakes

There are many different meditation techniques in Tibetan Buddhism, and some of them are extremely complex and even dangerous, and therefore they are taught secretly. But the practices of Buddhism for beginners are usually safe and it is almost impossible to make mistakes in them unless you approach what is called “creatively”, that is, changing the practice, introducing new elements into it and eliminating the old ones. In addition, in Buddhism it is assumed that the convert practices under the guidance and blessing of his mentor, who taught him the three refuges (that is, accepted him into the fold of Buddhism and a particular Buddhist school), as well as instructions for practice. It is actually impossible to accept Buddhism on your own without this ceremony.

About the home altar

As for arranging a home sanctuary, it must be said that this is considered very useful thing. However, at the same time, it is not necessary. According to its purpose, the altar plays the role of a focal point, which should concentrate a person’s attention and organize his living space in such a way that he remembers what is his the most important goal- enlightenment. Therefore, altar items should encourage ongoing practice. Therefore, if a decision has been made to create a sanctuary, then it does not need to be turned into an exhibition dedicated to Buddhist art. Usually it is enough to put up an image of Buddha, an image of your guru and a few more particularly important sculptures or icons. But it's better not to go beyond five. In addition, it is customary to keep symbols of purity of body, speech and mind on the altar. This means that in addition to an icon or figurine of Buddha, it is desirable to have excerpts from the sacred Buddhist scripture on the altar (as an option - the “heart sutra” or Lamrim) and the so-called stupa - a symbol of the purity of the Buddha’s mind.

Renewal of Vows

By entering the path of Tibetan Buddhism, a person joins the Mahayana, which declares for its followers not only the practice of personal liberation and enlightenment, but also the so-called path of the Bodhisattva. The last ones are called who, however, make a promise that they will go to Nirvana only when all other beings are liberated. And their religious practice is aimed not only at themselves, but for the benefit of all living beings. To begin the practice, a newly converted Buddhist in the Mahayana tradition takes the Bodhisattva vow. But through various unrighteous actions he violates them. Therefore, the Bodhisattva vow needs to be renewed periodically. However, Buddhism for beginners can be extremely difficult and its requirements confusing. For example, monks take vows consisting of several hundred clearly defined rules. But for the laity, a different approach will be more productive.

It is best to practice Buddhism for beginners not in the context of a set of precepts, but in the context of proper motivation. This means that in his life a Buddhist should strive to bring maximum benefit to as many creatures as possible. In this light, a violation of the vow would be any action, word or thought that is intended to harm anyone. Also, a violation of the vow will be the deliberate exclusion of someone (an animal, an enemy, or simply an unpleasant person, etc.) from the field of compassion. When a vow is broken, it must be taken again. However, this vow is renewed regularly. For example, in the practice of prostrations, which Buddhism includes. For beginners, this can be at least 1 bow or 3, 7, 21, 108. By the way, in some schools the full practice includes 108,000 prostrations.

Initial practices

The initial practices in Buddhism are called ngondro. In all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism they are approximately the same. They consist of four parts (although there are different classifications). These include 100,000 prostrations with taking refuge, reciting the hundred-syllable Vajrasattva mantra 100,000 times, 100,000 mandala offerings and 100,000 repetitions of guru yoga. This order, in principle, can be changed, but it is better to follow exactly this scheme. In addition, it should be added that this practice can also be performed by those who have not received the transmission of the refuge vow, that is, who are not formally Buddhists. However, according to Buddhist teachers, the benefits of ngondro in this case will be much less.

Buddhism for Beginners - books

In conclusion, let’s talk about what to read for those who are taking the first step towards Buddhism. To begin with, let us mention a book such as “Buddhism for Beginners.” Geshe Jampa Thinley is its author, a doctor of Buddhist philosophy of the Gelug tradition, a very respected, honored teacher of the Dharma in the CIS. His book is devoted to the basic, basic issues that beginners need to understand in order to have a correct understanding of the chosen path. This work describes the history of the teaching, explains its main aspects, and also gives a number of practical instructions for daily practice.

The next work is a book with the same title as the previous one - “Buddhism for Beginners.” Thubten Chodron, who wrote it, is an American Buddhist nun who spent many years studying the Buddhist path in Nepal and India under the guidance of the Dalai Lama and other high teachers. Today in the Western world she is one of the most respected experts in her field. In the book “Buddhism for Beginners” by Thubten Chodron, in the form of questions and answers, answers are given to the most popular questions regarding the essence of the teaching, its application in various areas of human activity and, in fact, everyday religious practice. In other words, it is a kind of catechism of Tibetan Buddhism.

Other books

In addition to these two books, the question “where to start studying Buddhism?” we recommend works such as “Buddhist Practice. The path to a life full of meaning” by the 14th Dalai Lama and “8 opening mistakes” by the already mentioned Geshe Thinley.