The Practice of Resonating the Mind with the Buddha

The essential purpose of studying and practicing the Buddhadharma is to bring the mind into resonance with the Buddha—to cultivate a mind that is pure, free from afflictions, able to experience the joy of life, and firmly grounded in the aspiration for the path, thus giving our lives a sense of security. From birth until we come to understand the workings of the world, we are continuously overwhelmed by deluded conceptions and attachments. To completely sever these afflictions is by no means easy; we often advance and then regress, circling within our habitual tendencies. For this reason, we need methods that can purify the mind and nurture a steadfast resolve to practice the path. For example, I began practicing Chan when I was fifteen years old. Through this, I came to experience a joy unlike anything in the worldly sense, and the further I progressed, the more resolute my aspiration for the path became. Yet in my twenties, I became drawn to worldly entertainments, and my resolve weakened. Only after I assumed monasticism and diligently practiced sitting meditation and prostrations did I gradually recover my aspiration and allow my mind to once again resonate with the Buddha.

Therefore, in studying and practicing the Dharma, one must establish a reliable source of support. Reciting the name of Amitabha, chanting mantras, and sitting meditation are among the methods that assist us in resonating our minds with the Buddha and being in his presence. Such practices calm the mind, reduce deluded conceptions, and lessen the afflictions of daily life. In this way, we can practice earnestly amid our everyday activities, continually training ourselves so that our minds resonate with the Buddha and are well trained.

How, then, does one train the mind? Through right mindfulness. Before encountering the Buddhadharma, the mind often shifts unpredictably, eluding our grasp. At the slightest setback, it fluctuates like the waves of the sea, with virtuous and non-virtuous thoughts intermingling. Immersed in this state without self-awareness, one easily commits non-virtuous actions. To practice Buddhism is to train the mind so that it abides in right mindfulness—recognizing the suffering, emptiness, and impermanence of all phenomena, and understanding that everything arises through the dynamics of cause-and-effect. Whatever karmic seeds were sown in past lives will ripen as the results experienced in this one. Therefore, if one hopes for a good future, one must cultivate compassion, generosity, and care for others: placing oneself in others’ positions, refraining from causing harm, and thereby naturally reducing one’s afflictions.

Ultimately, the Buddhadharma teaches us to take responsibility for our lives and for our karma—to face reality, to learn to take on what must be shouldered, and not to turn away from the circumstances we are given. In truth, practicing Buddhism is very simple: it means walking the bodhisattva path and engaging in acts that benefit the world. The more we do, the more positive conditions we create. In the course of life, whether circumstances are favorable or adverse, we must work through them directly. As long as we maintain right mindfulness and engage in virtuous deeds, virtuous conditions will naturally arise and non-virtuous ones will gradually fall away.