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What does your daily practise entail?
Niwalen
Explorer
I am curious to know what your daily/twice daily practise is, how long does it take, is it in a certain order, do you chant or meditate or both, do you have a shrine or use mala beads etc.
If this is too personal a question then I apologise I'm just really curious about different peoples approaches.
Thank you xx
If this is too personal a question then I apologise I'm just really curious about different peoples approaches.
Thank you xx
0
Comments
Vajrasattva ( Purification practice )
Almost every day I do 30 minutes of meditation. Because of psychotic voices I have only done blocks of 5 minutes sitting because my body feels so drugged. I do 10 minute blocks of walking meditation which helps with the drugged feeling. I study about 2-3 pages of text a day also.
For daily awareness I have certain triggers like: brewing coffee, waiting for loading screens, and when upset. Also whenever I am inspired by beauty I reflect on how it can be that there is a feeling like that and I wonder where the feeling is and how far it goes into the world. And this is even just looking out the window or at a cat sleep like something simple.
The text I read usually makes me notice things in my awareness during the day that relates to the text. This helps cement what I am learning.
And I keep a candle lit while in the area of my practice. The candle is next to a Buddha figurine on my shrine.
Next is meditation which can be unifying practice or some form of shamatha usually 45 minutes. I have a small shrine with flowers, Padmasambava and a candle which I light for the duration of the sit.
I have a chime on my phone which rings hourly to remind me to stop and remain in awareness as long as I can manage which can vary wildly somedays. I use opportunities to remain present, doing playground duty at the school where I work, eating breakfast, cooking... if I'm doing something pleasurable like drawing I try be aware.
At night before I go to sleep I reflect on the day and note where I remained present, where I let negative thoughts creep in, where I showed compassion and dedicate any merit to the enlightenment of all beings.
Other things I do during the day are repeating the guru mantra (usually silently), really notice any negative thoughts and wish myself and others to be happy and well.
I listen to teachings on my phone and read dharma books when the opportunity arises.
I drive my kids around a lot, which means a lot of waiting, so I bring my kindle and read while I wait. Sometimes I meditate in the car while I wait, too. I still get lost in my routines sometimes but I am much more able to bring myself around to mindfulness than I was a year ago. I find myself reciting the refuge vows as my breather before I respond to a difficult situation, and that does help, too.
I do sit in front of a kind of altar when I meditate, but until very recently I didn't have one and just sat in the middle of the living room floor. Every Saturday morning I meet with my sangha for group meditation, discussion, and right now we are reading a book together that we also discuss. Occasionally we get together for other activities.
and 40 mins at night, outside. I do my whole bells and whistles...
well...candles, chants and flower arranging.
Touching the earth. Setting all intentions.
It is in order....I'm a creature of habit. I may meditate one
or both times...depends on whats going on. I often find
myself in deep reflection and insight before I know it, so...
that varies, And I think it's important to keep that open fluid
going...especially for me...so I can access what I need for that day.
Beads are my altar to go. My practice is to mantra through
the strand twice each day. If by some chance, my beads are
not on me....I can usually default to sets of threes pretty
quickly. haha
all the best
At the twice weekly sangha meetings, we cover the Heart Sutra and other Mahayana chants. Community is important so I make sure I do not miss the opportunity to sit in solidarity with others. I also make it a daily habit to read the Metta Sutta. Additional study whenever possible.
My practice primarily involves mindfulness and loving-kindness, both in and outside of formal meditation.
Always have confidence and commitment in your practice. It builds. It changes you.
:clap:
While I've been off-line and away from my Virtual Sangha (here), it's been a boon....
- Light oil lamps on both sides of the stone Buddha at 6.15 A.M.
- Light incense.
- Say: “May this light, may this scent, may the Dharma benefit all sentient beings.
May they be healthy, may they be happy and may they attain Enlightenment soon.”
- Do 40 minutes of zazen.
- Have some muesli.
- Walk to the train station at 7.10 A.M.
- Read Dogen in the train,
- Start working and drink too much coffee.
1. Strong cup of coffee
2. 20 - 30 minutes sitting in mindfulness meditation at home
3. 50 minute train commute to work (read dharma book or listen to dharma podcast)
4. Remainder of the day practicing
I peak at about 9am then slowly fade......
Vows.
I do have an altar (of sorts) on the top of a bookcase with a picture of the Buddha, a candle and an incense bowl. I light incense and the candle for the duration of the sit.
I also wear a wrist mala, not so much for mantra but as a constant reminder that practice is endless....
pearly sky
hungry kitten
frost on leaf
just keep saying, "Not two".
Feeling very constricted around the chest after too much betel nut, should not be taking that . . . it was a mix up at the shop, I asked for tulsi (holy basil) and got tulsi brand betal nut . . .
So will have to work on a way of alleviating the feeling, some chi-kung helped but may have a session of chanting . . .
I'm getting a shrine and mala for Christmas so soon I shall be able to extend my practice further
Yes, I have found it to be very helpful. There are times in my work day, especially, when I'm stressed out and/or tempted to throw away some of the precepts, I glance at the mala and remember the practice. Doesn't always mean that I still don't cheat at the precepts...but I tend to be a lot more mindful and often it DOES stop the behavior.
For instance this week has been impermanence.
So I've been both mindful of impermanence off and on the cushion.
And then paying attention to the effect of bring such attention. For instance there is a growing disinterest for things and more and more I can see subtle tensions and graspings, which are also seen with the lens of impermanence.
Once or twice I day I do Shitro practice, which is visualization and mantras.
Then at least one hour of studying.
And sometimes if the climate of conditions are right I practice metta and inclining the mind towards the positive.