Reverence

Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Buddham Pujemi
Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Dhammam Pujemi
Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Sangham Pujemi
Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Mata pitunam Pujemi
Imaya Dhammanu Dhammapatipattiya Acariyaca Pujemi

Meaning:

With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere the Buddha
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere the Dhamma
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere the Sangha
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere my parents
With the practice that is in accordance to the Dhamma, I revere my teachers


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These verses reveberated in my mind the last few days, and it brought with it the memory of my retreat last year with Kaizhao shifu. During the retreat, at the end of each day, shifu led us to chant the verses, but I had no idea what it meant. Only on the last day, the 10th, the booklet was available and I got to see what it meant. When I found out, I was moved to tears. It's because what was said/ chanted was in accordance to what has been practiced for the last 10 days. It was the most sincere offering -- the offering of one's practice as a form of reverence to those who are worthy of reverence. Even now, chanting it at the end of each day feels very meaningful. It's not just an empty chant, simply chanted for the sake of chanting, but a sincere offering that comes from one's practice throughout the day.

~ Santi ~

Attachment

Attachment is sometimes so subtle that we fail to see that it is there. It’s only when one’s attachment to something/ someone is challenged that one realizes one is attached to that something.

Today, I was pained when he didn’t respond to me the way I perceived he used to. Before any thoughts came, the feeling of ‘pain’ seeped in. This is how dangerous attachment is. When one is having a good time getting oneself attached to things, one is not even aware that the attachment is there. But when things turn bad, one started to see how one’s attachment to something causes one to suffer.

This pain is a good thing. It awakens me to the fact that I’m attached to someone, and that attachment causes me suffering. Just as physical pain is a bodily protection mechanism to signal to the body that it is endangered, this mental pain is the same. When the pain arises, I know that it’s the thing that I mentally hold on to – in other words, cling to – that has caused the pain. Consequently, I let him go, the way one who holds fire let it go immediately on realizing that fire is harmful.

We can learn a lot from people or things we are attached to. We can learn a lot about attachment. For me, because I am attached to him, I get to learn many valuable lessons. Even when he doesn’t do anything to hurt or harm me, I’d hurt myself by thinking in this or that way, that he is this or that way, or that this or that is what he intends. For this reason, he’s been a great teacher for me.