***Writing Retreat In Progress***

Stop all the busy-ness, I'm concentrating! That is to say, I've begun a three month writing retreat, to write a book I'm supposed to write. I plan to take three months off from my daily rounds as pastor of the Berkeley Buddhist Monastery and focus on one activity: saying in words what I want to say about Buddhist practice. I'm going to forgo meetings, lectures and consultations in order to give birth to a book about Buddhist practice. People I meet when I travel to Buddhist countries East and West ask me all the time, "What is the best practice for me? What should I do to move forward in my spiritual practice?"

That question makes sense to me since our Mahayana tradition gives "the six perfections and the myriad practices" as our method for reaching the heights of wisdom and compassion.

So I've decided to put my answer in a book form, and outline in simple and direct English prose how to practice in the Mahayana tradition.

Because I'll be writing, I will be able to post to Dharma Forest more regularly. And since I have been too busy to post to this blog, I have a backlog of events to report about. So perhaps a reader of Dharma Forest will think that I'm busier than ever, but in fact it will be post-dated reports of past events, written from the silence of the breaks during my writing retreat.

I'd say more but I've got to go write!

Comments

[Julia]

I hope writer's block and also this crazy flu doesn't plague you while you're "retreat-ing", and I can't wait to see the final product! Best of wishes and luck! :)

[lily]

"What is the best practice for me? What should I do to move forward in my spiritual practice?"

These are the central questions for people searching for a way out of the bondage of afflictions. While the Chinese Mahayana tradition, mainly the Chan school and pure land school, have practices and retreat which are open to laypeople too, yet there are need for more detailed roadmap and progressive and specific guidance for the general public. Thus it is not surprising to find people running to the southern tradictions for practice or to the Vajrayana practices. While it takes a long time for one to really see the way clearly, it also depends on the individual karma/inclination/affinity.
Best wishes!

[ching]

I really like the Chan school. The Chinese sage use 'Vippassna' practice to see our true (buddha) nature which is pure and perfect. The southern tradition gets to be too analytical and tedious, maybe it is more attractive to those who have greater doubts. Personally, I can connect with Chan and it speaks to my heart dearly.

The best of all is that adding with Pureland perspective we get double blessing!

[Brother Charles]

Venerable brother, I just watched some of your lecture on meditation via VegSource. It resonated a lot with my heart, and made my day. Thanks so much, I needed it.

[yee seang goh]

I have attended chan classes since taking refuge(ten years),getting there;now i crave it like wanting my coffee.At times, family commitments just in your way.also the dharma blog .org gives me great insight into listening to more dharma food from our great masters. i am greatful for their compasion

[ycs]

Meditation is my coffee too. There is nothing in the world that can compare with the peace coming from the stillness of a good meditation. Family obligations can take a cut from that.

Those who have discovered the joy of meditation earlier in life can easily forego the need to build a family life in order to find meaning in later years. They are on a non-stop train ride toward liberation!

[terri]

Good luck and have fun! I hope you sell a million billion copies so that you don't not publish and perish. Thanks for everything.I really appreciate all the Sutra Lectures. I found a really good teacher and I am happy. I am going byebye to Malaysia ASAP. I am still in love with CTTB and Master Hua's teachings, but I need a teacher so I am moving to Malaysia. I have no money but I have faith.
I love all the stories about how Master Hua scolded and loved his students, and I want that for me. For my Dharma body. It's important. I deserve it. I can't find it in America, so I am outta here.
Byebye Chris!