I do apologize again for placing an article in this section. My reasons have been stated before in an earlier posting. Yet, for this one, I post it here for those seeking power, spiritual abilities and enlightenment. Though we all have not met formally, I sincerely am concerned for you all, and though you all do not need someone to hold you by the hand and tell you what's good and such, please just see these words as a reminder, if not anything else.
The function of it is up to you, and if it holds no importance, then you have my humble permission to throw it in the garbage. Many of us here seek proper cultivation, and many are on that path. This article only lays out a view for cultivation, agree and or disagree, or both. It is you only who can make any kind of use for it.

Peace and Blessings,
Lin




Cultivation is a term used to describe the process of which transformation, changing in other words. Likened to planting seeds, cultivation is basically the reaching into the mind, recognizing the causes of our outcomes, and pulling out that which is the cause of our suffering, indulgence in either good or bad experiences, views, desires, thoughts.

Many forms are under the term cultivation. Qi Gong practices of all kinds are considered manners of cultivation for they change what is current, and manifest a “new” mind. Here we will look into the foundation for cultivating anything as a way to reassure our practices will be directed towards a wholesome outcome.

One of the foremost important things to pay attention to in cultivation is behavior. What ever we put in mind, we experience, at least think we do. Our view of the world as we know it, is based on our 6 senses; touch, taste, hear, smell, see and mind. It is best to be aware of how we act with ourselves and others. Interaction directly influences our mind during our own personal and public cultivation. “Public” cultivation is when one is inter-relating with friends, family, work…basically socializing.

When alone, we can easily cultivate patience with most things, compassion as well. We converse with our own mind, inner dialogs, and contemplate thoughts, ideas; then we rationalize, or come to a point where we consider this knowing clearly of what we are thinking about, as wisdom. Interacting with others offers a chance to put, what we believe ourselves to have, into action. Usually, without a change in behavior we may find ourselves in the mind of feeling self-righteous and believing others to need our views and self-proclaimed wisdom.

This thought results in frustration if the others do not agree, accept and or integrate our ideas into their life. Sometimes we may feel a bit impatient with the pace of other people’s lifestyle and habits. Some may be slower than others in walking, driving, or even paying for things at the store. Sometimes people may present stubbornness in their relating to one in terms of personal relationships; family, spouse, children. When we interact with others and find our own personalities changing according to our relating with them, it is a sign something is not quite proper in our mind.

This is when we must question our views, feelings, conditions in our personal life. Being alone is easy, but being with others tests one’s views and attachments to them. Changing behavior is a key method of practice for ensuring a stable mind, controlled emotions and a healthy long life.

Cultivation of anything must have a foundation of Patience, Compassion and Wisdom. We will call these three the Three Hearts of Cultivation. Patience with one’s conditions, attachments and views, is patience with others attachments and views. Compassion with the conditions one’s attachments and views is compassion with others, and Wisdom within one’s mind, is wisdom with all minds.

Proper cultivation is only proper with a foundation of these three hearts. During one’s practice, one may be able to attain some abilities, yet the views of being special, better than others may arise. Because the cultivator is constantly facing the views the other beings have, it is best for them to keep humility close by, compassion for other’s conditions and the wisdom to know right view.

With wisdom comes the attainment of spiritual penetrations. Without wisdom, spiritual penetrations will become a hindrance to one’s attainment of enlightenment.

This is why it is safer for the cultivator, and the beings of their mind, to cultivate virtue as the foundation of all practices. How does one attain virtue? One cultivates virtue by being mindful of their character, behavior and afflictions; conditions of the mind, attachments, views.

Setting down a guideline for cultivation does not only mean being mindful of what one practices, but being persistent in cultivating wholesomeness. That means the cultivator may write down promises to themselves as to keep the mind in check so as not to revert to their bad habits of mind, behavior and character.

Promises, or vows, are only made to make sure the cultivator realizes the result of wholesome practice. What is the result to be realized other than enlightenment?

Attaining wisdom, inherent wisdom, is to know all things, but not to personally attach to them. Virtue keeps one off the path of what is viewed as negative thoughts, views, speech; negative lively hood, conduct, effort, mindfulness and concentration. Once one has begun to walk a path of virtue, wisdom begins to shine from them like the sun shines upon all living beings in the world. Virtue is one’s safeguard, one’s foundation and an expression of one’s true nature. Though the original, true nature of living beings is of no marks, true Thusness, when expressed through mind, it is in virtue.

Keep close to vows that benefit all beings. This is called right view, and functions in selflessness. Power, spiritual penetrations are nothing without wisdom, and do not mark the mind of a sage. It only keeps one in the ocean of their own conditions, and does not release the mind from personal attachments. Displaying one’s wisdom in view of having other’s praise is not true wisdom. Displaying of spiritual abilities is not proper conduct, if it is to gain praise and wonderment. These actions only cause confusion to ignorant minds, and eventually lead to outcomes of unpleasantness.

Whether one is of Buddhist or Daoist cultivation, keeping to virtue and moral is first and foremost. There is no going wrong with being in proper mindfulness of one’s own causes and conditions, conduct, speech, thoughts, effort, and concentration.

Patience equals Compassion, and Compassion equals Wisdom. If one is compassionate, they are patient, If one is patient, they attain wisdom. In either order, they all result in each other. Since they result in each other, they are all one and 3.

With this, I wish all cultivators to seek wholesomeness, and fulfill their own promises/vows which should function for the benefit of all living beings compassionately, which in turn benefits the cultivator.

Lin, this article is pure gold.


There's really nothing i can add , but i felt moved to write something out of respect:

"Whether one is of Buddhist or Daoist cultivation, keeping to virtue and moral is first and foremost."

Anthything and everything else that may come thereafter in the form of powers and so forth, are just by-products. For whatever of such may arise, who can claim them?



Patience, compassion wisdom - inherent in cultivators heart,

naturally springing forth

The sweet joy within.

Radiating among all.

All beings together awake.

One Mind

Lin.where do we find patience?

i wouldn't have seen my current inner conflict in this light without your words, Sifu.
it's really so much simpler than i allow it to be most of the time.

thank you.

*bows*

hmm i just found an error within myself after reading it.



thank you for writing this, sifu lin.

Patience only arise when there is non-patience.



Peace and Blessings,
Lin




In that light, these words are your words.



Peace,
Lin




recognizing your thoughts that lead to what you see as an error in your mind will begin to shed light upon it, and thus the attachment to it will be less and less until it is put down completely. At that point, only right view will remain

Excellent work. You have opened to wisdom. The more you cultivate with this in mind, the more wisdom will shine through.

Peace and blessings,
Lin

Lin Shifu
Writes words straight as arrows.
Hands as bow,
Mind as archer.

Oh, but this is not the patience you really meant, was it?

As I read, I remembered the answer to the thosand armed bodhisattva's compassion...

In the world of causation, things are dualistic, and we understand the world with an "I, me, mine" mode of personhood. In this mode, it is true that patience only exists where there is non-patience. So also, does the idea of patience, does it not? (I'm very happy with your play on words, Lin) But patience in this mode is really just an illusion. It does not exist in the world that is free from dualism.

But I wish to also throw this into the soup to play with:

We're REALLY patient, that is patient as a Bodhisattva, only when we remember that to exercise patience is to "Scratch our own Itch." In other words, patience and vows disappear. It is then that we appear patient, and only then that we TRULY are patient. In other words, patience arrises when there is no patience.

And so you said it first. No?

Thank you so much for your nice article Lin.

It is as you say.. hahaha That is what I meant; Patience only arises in duality. And thus, is also an illusion, for duality is illusive.

Peace and Blessings...Peace and Blessings

Lin

Thank you both Lin and Nightwatchdog.You have helped me to remember.

If I may humbly add something which i feel is consistent with this, here are some
quotes from Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi.

"Although powers appear wonderful to those who do not possess them, they are only transient. It is useless to aspire for the transient. All these wonders are contained in the changeless self"

"The greatest miracle is to realise the self. All others are sidetracks"

"What good will powers do? Suppose you exercise wonderful powers. Have you tossed worry out of your mind?.
Self abidance alone is the real miracle."

Hi Lin,

Great article friend!!

Got a question about your cultivation of seated meds. Does any of your seated meditation methods use moving the hands, arms, body whilst seated?

If so what do you feel about it - what do you think the purpose of them are compared to static seated meds be it mudras, mantras, to moving seated meditations?

kind regards
WYG

P.S maybe we can start another thread on this if you like? Sorry if i highjacked it but its still on cultivation and alot of people may find seated moving easier then seated static due to figiting or bordom?

Anyone else welcome also to comment!?

hahaha Fighting the boredom of sitting meditation.. haha
well that means the mind is active and is still doing something.. it just prefers colorful things...basically.

But the meditation in one of my other articles is just a basic description. There are other methods inclusive of movement and different arm and hand positions as well. I am not opposed to working with those as I do once and a while. There are many purposes obviously, but touching on one of them is that they are like keys fitting into a particular position to let in more of whatever its function is. Alignment is most important for proper alignment results in mastery of form and substance...over proper practice, and with other methods involved.

We can start a new thread on it if you wish.. be my guest to do so. Besides, we already started it here... lol

Peace and Blessings,
Lin

I enjoy sitting meditatively. The embryonic breathing practices I learned from Yang Jwing Ming are awesome - the simplicity, really. I've found that just focusing on physical feeling and movement of the breathing method is a great way to get a harness on extraneous thoughts during meditation. Once I become comfortable, the mind gets much more quiet...and when you really start getting deeper into it, I find it relatively easy to let go of thought altogether.

Very good article, Lin. Thank you!