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About this section:
Prayers are ways of guiding our thoughts and energy in a certain
direction; they are a technique in helping us transform our mind.
By repeatedly thinking of the meaning of what we are saying or reading,
we train and familiarize ourselves in a way of regarding and relating
to ourselves and others. The testing ground that shows us which
qualities are firm within us and which ones still need to be developed
is our daily life with all its various activities. Thus for a person
dedicated to developing his or her Buddha potential, prayers and
the activities of daily life complement each other.
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About the Preparatory Practices:
Before we begin our first meditation session of the day, it is good
to do the six preparatory practices. The preparatory practices prepare
our environment, bodies and minds to be open to the presence of
the enlightened ones and are a warm-up for the mediation we are
about to do.
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The Six Preparatory Practices
Prior to the first meditation session of the
day, it is good to do the six preparatory practices:
- Sweep and clean the room and arrange the
altar.
- Make offerings on the altar, e.g. light,
food, incense, water bowls, etc.
- Sit in a comfortable position and examine
your mind. If you are distracted, do some breathing meditation
to calm your mind. Then establish a good motivation. After that,
take refuge
and generate the altruistic intention by reciting the appropriate
prayers.
- Visualize the merit field with the gurus,
Buddhas, bodhisattvas, etc. If this is too difficult, visualize
Shakyamuni Buddha alone and consider him the embodiment of all
Buddhas, Dharma and Sangha.
- Offer the seven
limb prayer and the mandala, by reciting those prayers.
- Make requests
to the lineage gurus for inspiration by reciting the requesting
prayers.
It is also good to review the entire gradual
path to enlightenment by reciting for example, "Foundation
of All Good Qualities." This helps you to understand the
purpose of the particular meditation that you will do in the overall
scheme of training the mind in the gradual path. It also plants
the seed for you to obtain each realization of the path. Then, do
analytical meditation, thinking about one of the topics
from the gradual path by remembering and applying the explanations
you have heard or read on the subject.
[Click
here for teachings on the 6 Preparatory Practices]
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