When people talk about daily practice, they usually mean doing silent meditation, a ritual, or mantra recitation. These are important parts of our daily practice, but there is another crucial dimension: it is being kind to our own body-mind. This is a method for connecting with our buddhanature during our daily activities.
There is a beautiful practice in Mahayana Buddhism, described in the Flower Ornament Sutra and Longchenpa's Guide to Meditation, that says we should use whatever we do as an opportunity to cultivate altruistic, enlightened intent. When we eat food, we wish, "May sentient beings attain the food of meditative stability." When sitting on a seat, we wish, "May sentient beings attain the Vajra Seat." When walking, we think, "I am walking to serve all sentient beings." And even when fastening a belt, we think, "May all sentient beings be fastened to the root of virtue." In reciting lines like these to ourselves, our kindness and care is expanded and directed outward to others. Buddhist practice, however, also calls us to care for ourselves.
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