Excerpts from http://www.jenchen.org.sg/cultivat.htm
How should we cultivate
as we learn Buddhism?
Non-origination
and non-cessation
Cultivation
is the most important practice for a Buddhist. We need to cultivate
our conduct. Having resolved to learn from the Buddha, we ought to
follow the Buddha’s methods of cultivation and
practice.
Our
each and every action is manifested physically, but these physical
actions are initiated by our mind. Hence, "Cultivating our moral
conduct is better than cultivating our actions. Cultivating our
mind is better than cultivating our moral conduct. Maintaining
non-origination of the mind is better than cultivating it."
Cultivation means examining our conduct and eradicating conduct
which are undesirable, for example, those that inflict suffering on
ourselves or on others. When our conduct is moral and ethical, then
our actions are naturally beneficial to ourselves and others. Thus,
cultivating our moral conduct is better than cultivating our
actions. Unethical or immoral actions, originate from an impure
mind. Once these undesirable actions arecommitted, it is too late
for cultivation. Thus, it is better to cultivate the mind. To
cultivate the mind after the arising of impure thoughts is also too
late. Thus, cultivating the mind is still not the ultimate, it is
better to spontaneously cease the arising of such thoughts all
together. Since there is no arising, then there is no cessation.
The verse "Non-origination and non-cessation" as described in the
Heart Sutra is really a simple matter!
We
need to understand that learning and practising Buddhism should be
as simple as possible. Indeed, it is so simple that we may find it
unbelievable. Yet, it is also so simple that we may not be able to
do it. We learn Buddhism to overcome our disbelief and reinforce
our faith so that we have the capability to put it into practice.
Thus, the saying "Faith is the origin of all paths to
enlightenment." Let me use a very simple method to
illustrate.
When a thought originates in our mind, it is "birth" or
"origination". When the thought fades away it no longer exists,
therefore it is "dead" or it has "ceased." Every moment of the day,
the mind is 
perpetually
engaged in a continuous process of "origination" and "cessation",
or "birth" and "death" of thoughts. Unknowingly, one moment it
arises, and the next it ceases. Now we need to know when these
thoughts are arising and ceasing. "To know" here means "awareness".
Let me use my hand to illustrate so that you may understand right
away. I raise my hand now, and so my hand is "up". When I put my
hand down then it is "down". Our mind constantly behaves in the
same manner; one moment it gives birth to a thought ( hand is up),
and the next moment the thought is dead, it passes away (hand is
down). This continuous process of birth and death is called
sentient beings. This process of birth and death brings forth
boundless sufferings. Sentient being is boundless and therefore
suffering is also boundless. When we learn and practise Buddhism it
means we are striving to liberate the inner sentient being in us
from these sufferings.
Now,
I neither raise nor put my hand down. When the mind does not give
birth, there is no death. This is no-birth and no-death, or
non-origination and non-cessation. The Buddhas exist in this world
for the sake of liberating sentient beings from this process of
birth and death. In this way we all know that non-origination and
non-cessation refers to our mind and hence maintaining the mind as
such is the proper way to cultivate.
We
should begin to cultivate from here. From cultivation, we acquire
liberation, unfold our wisdom and widely follow the practices of
all Bodhisattvas through aeons of countless births. In this way, we
keep alive our hope of attaining the Supreme Enlightenment or
Buddhahood. This is indeed so simple! Yet, so simple that you may
not know, you may not believe and you doubt if you can actually do
it. Whatever we are doing, be it walking, standing, sitting or
sleeping, we only need to cultivate in this manner and maintain an
unmoving keenness of our awareness. You may think that this is so
simple and feel that you know all these very well. But, human
beings are indeed intelligent and it is not easy for others to fool
them. Yet, in a whole life time they are constantly deceived by
themselves without ever knowing.
In
this world we speak of "nip in the bud" to eradicate a problem.
Thus, to catch a thief, arrest his leader. In Buddhism, to
cultivate our actions, first cultivate our mind. When we have our
mind in control, we follow up by keeping it still. We know that
"our mind is not moving", see that "our mind is not moving". The
"know" and "see" mentioned here refer to our awareness. It is in
this way that we maintain our awareness. I hope we all will
practise and cultivate following this method.
I
have described the essence of the Dharma using simplest words, and
when we practise as such we are with Buddha. At every moment,
irrespective of our activities, be with Buddha. Jen Chen Buddhism
advocates cultivating and being with Buddha amid all our
activities, including walking, standing, sitting and
sleeping.
How to purify the human
mind?
Observe the
mind to purify it
We
are all human beings and we all have a mind. We are frequently
‘deceived’ by our minds. For an entire lifetime we are ‘deceived’
and ‘misled’ by our minds without ever realizing it! If the mind is
good, then of course, it is all very well. Such a mind creates a
good person; one can ascend to the heavens or one can perform a lot
of virtuous deeds. What happens if the mind is evil and becomes
defiled? It can drag us to become animals, ghosts and deities, or
descend to hell. This is because our mind is not pure, and
therefore the world becomes a sea of suffering. This suffering
world of ours is called the "Saha World". It means having to endure
and is also called the "World of enduring
sufferings".
If
we all purify our minds, then the world becomes a heaven. Everybody
is very happy and there is no suffering. In learning and practising
Buddhism, the most important thing is to purify our minds. When we
can purify our minds, then naturally there will be happiness in our
world.
To
do that we have to observe the non-arising of the mind. This is
called ‘contemplation of the mind’. When the mind is polluted, then
we cleanse it with the dew of the Buddha. And when our minds have
been purified, then they are the same as those of the Buddhas and
Bodhisattvas. In this way, we will progress very quickly in our
cultivation.
Observing
the mind is very simple. It is like watching out for the mouse.
Everybody dislike mice because they steal our food or they damage
our clothings. An idiom describes this sentiment with the phrase,
‘When the mouse crosses the street everybody goes after it.’
Obviously mice are not welcomed and they have to be dealt with. One
method of dealing with it, is the cat. At the sight of a mouse, the
cat puts his paws firmly on the ground and fixes its steely eyes on
the mouse. On seeing the cat, the mouse trembles with fear, not
daring to make even the slightest movement. Treat your mind as if
it were a mouse and your awareness as the cat. At every moment
observe your mind, in the same way as the cat watching the mouse.
The mouse wants to live and hardly has time to think of its own
safety, let alone of stealing food. If we can observe our minds,
then we will hardly have time enough to treasure our wisdom life,
let alone think of committing evil deeds.
Therefore
when we are learning and practising Buddhism, we need to learn to
"contemplate the mind". In this way, we will very quickly be able
to avoid all evils and do all that are good.
"Avoid
all evils; do all that are good; purify one’s mind. These are the
teachings of all Buddhas". Besides avoiding all evils and doing all
that are good, we need to purify our thoughts. When our thoughts
have been purified, then the mind is pure. The purpose of learning
and practising Buddhism is to purify the human mind. If the minds
of everyone in the family is pure, then our home is pure; if the
minds of everyone in this society is pure, then our society is
pure; if the minds of everyone in the country is pure, then our
land is pure; if the entire human race in the world is pure, then
our world is as happy as the Western Pure Land.
Our
mind is like the stealthy mouse, ever watchful of a chance to creep
out to commit evil deeds, and we are not even aware of that. I hope
all of us will keep a cat to watch our minds, so that we can become
Buddha quickly.
