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Duddubha Jataka [The Sound the Hare Heard]
One morning while some bhikkhus were on their alms round in Savatthi, they passed some ascetics of different sects practising austerities. Some of them were naked and lying on thorns. Others sat around a blazing fire under the burning sun.
Later, while the monks were discussing the ascetics, they asked the Buddha, "Lord, is there any virtue in those harsh ascetic practices?"
The Buddha answered, "No, monks, there is neither virtue nor any special merit in them. When they are examined and tested, they are like a path over a dunghill, or like the noise the hare heard."
Puzzled, the monks said, "Lord, we do not know about that noise. Please tell us what it was." At their request the Buddha told them this story of the distant past.
"Long, long ago, when Brahmadatta was reigning in Baranasi, the Bodhisatta was born as a lion in a forest near the Western Ocean. In one part of that forest there was a grove of palms mixed with belli trees. A hare lived in that grove beneath a palm sapling at the foot of a belli tree.
One day the hare lay under the young palm tree, idly thinking, "If this earth were destroyed, what would become of me?" At that very instant a ripe belli fruit happened to fall and hit a palm leaf making a loud "THUD!" Startled by this sound, the hare leapt to his feet and cried, "The earth is collapsing!" He immediately fled, without even glancing back. Another hare, seeing him race past as if for his very life, asked, "What’s wrong?" and started running, too. "Don’t ask!" panted the first. This frightened the second hare even more, and he sprinted to keep up. "What’s wrong?" he shouted again. Pausing for just a moment, the first hare cried, "The earth is breaking up!" At this, the two of them bolted off together.
Their fear was infectious, and other hares joined them until all the hares in that forest were fleeing together. When other animals saw the commotion and asked what was wrong, they were breathlessly told, "The earth is breaking up!" and they too began running for their lives. In this way, the hares were soon joined by herds of deer, boars, elk, buffaloes, wild oxen, and rhinoceroses, a family of tigers, and some elephants.
When the lion saw this headlong stampede of animals and heard the cause of their flight, he thought, "The earth is certainly not coming to an end. There must have been some sound which they misunderstood. If I don’t act quickly they will be killed. I must save them!" Then, as fast as only he could run, he got in front of them, and roared three times. At the sound of his mighty voice, all the animals stopped in their tracks. Panting, they huddled together in fear. The lion approached and asked why they were running away.
"The earth is collapsing," they all answered. "Who saw it collapsing?" he asked. "The elephants know all about it," some animals replied. When he asked the elephants, they said, "We don’t know. The tigers know." The tigers said, "The rhinoceroses know." The rhinoceroses said, "The wild oxen know." The wild oxen said, "The buffaloes know." The buffaloes said, "The elk know." The elk said, "The boars know." The boars said, "The deer know." The deer said, "We don’t know. The hares know." When he asked the hares, they pointed to one particular hare and said, "This one told us." The lion asked him, "Is it true, sir, that the earth is breaking up?" "Yes, sir, I saw it," said the hare. "Where were you when you saw it?" "In the forest in a palm grove mixed with belli trees. I was lying there under a palm at the foot of a belli tree, thinking, ‘If this earth were destroyed, what would become of me?’ At that very moment I heard the sound of the earth breaking up and I fled."
From this explanation, the lion realized exactly what had really happened, but he wanted to verify his conclusions and demonstrate the truth to the other animals. He gently calmed the animals and said, "I will take the hare and go to find out whether or not the earth is coming to an end where he says it is. Until we return, stay here."
Placing the hare on his tawny back, he raced with great speed back to that grove. Then he put the hare down and said, "Come, show me the place you meant." "I don’t dare, my lord," said the hare. "Don’t be afraid," said the lion. The hare, shivering in fear, would not risk going near the belli tree. He could only point and say, "Over there, sir, is the place of dreadful sound."
The lion went to the place the hare indicated. He could make out where the hare had been lying in the grass, and he saw the ripe belli fruit that had fallen on the palm leaf. Having carefully ascertained that the earth was not breaking up, he placed the hare on his back again and returned to the waiting animals. He told them what he had found and said, "Don’t be afraid." Reassured, all the animals returned to their usual places and resumed their routines.
Those animals had placed themselves in great danger because they listened to rumours and unfounded fears rather than trying to find out the truth themselves. Truly, if it had not been for the lion, those beasts would have rushed into the sea and perished. It was only because of the Bodhisattva’s wisdom and compassion that they escaped death.
At the conclusion of the story, the Buddha identified the Birth: "At that time, I myself was the lion."
A Lamp For The Path To Full Awakening (By Lama Atisha. The original text of the 'Stages of the Path of the Great Vehicle:' THE LAMP FOR THE PATH TO FULL AWAKENING. Sanskrit: Bodhipathapradipam, Tibetan: Byang-chub-lam-gyi-sgron-ma ("Lam-dron") by the great Indian Pandit Dipamkara Shrijnana Atisha, "Jowo-je")
Obeisance of the translator from Sanskrit into Tibetan:
Homage to the Awakening Warrior, youthful, refined and glorious Manjushri.
Homage And Promise To Explain... To all Conquerors [Buddhas] of the three times, to the Truth of Dharma and to the Spiritual Aspirants, with great respect, I pay homage.
Being urged by the good disciple Changchub O, I shall elucidate the Lamp for the Path to Full Awakening.
The Three Spiritual Scopes... Know that the three spiritual scopes as being small, mediocre and supreme.
So that their characteristics will be quite clear, I shall write down what distinguishes each.
Anyone who, by whatever means, seeks to procure for himself happiness merely in cyclic existence is known as an individual of the lowest scope.
He who turns his back on the happiness of transitory existence and turns himself away from the actions of evil, he who seeks for just his own peace is an individual known to be of mediocre scope.
Anyone who, realizing the suffering pertaining to his own being, wishes for the total elimination of the suffering of others is a person having supreme scope.
For these highest beings who aspire for the supreme awakened state, I shall explain the perfect method as taught by the spiritual masters.
Ethical Discipline (Shila)... Before paintings, statues and so forth of the Totally Awakened Being [Buddha], (as well as) reliquaries and the sacred Dharma offer flowers, glowing incense and any objects one has received just as related in the 'Conduct of the Entirely Good Samantabhadra' as well as in the 'Seven-fold Offering.'
With a mind never turning from the limit of the essence, complete awakening, out of great faith in the Three Rare and Supreme Jewels, while kneeling on bent knee, with palms placed together first go for refuge three times.
Then at the outset, out of a mind of pure love for every sentient being, look at each and every one of [sentient] beings, who all suffer from death, transmigration [Bardo], birth in the three bad destinies [animal, prêta and hell] and the like.
Out of the suffering - suffering, suffering [of change] and [all-pervasive] suffering - and the wish to free living creatures from its cause, activate the awakening mind [Bodhicitta] that vows never to turn back.
The excellent qualities produced by such an aspiring mind are explained well by Maitreya, the Loving One in the 'Adorned Tree Discourse'. Read that discourse or hear from a master the limitless excellences of the complete awakening mind. Be aware of its aspects and then, with this as your reason, generate this mind again and again.
In the 'Discourses Requested by Suradata' the meritorious-ness of it is elaborated very well.
At which juncture, I shall quote here just three stanzas:
"If whatever merit of the awakening mind were to be form, it would fill every realm throughout space and would come to exceed even that.
Realms of Buddha-fields, as many as the number of sand-grains in the Ganges, a person may fill them all with jewels and offer them to the Protectors of the transitory world;
Yet should anyone join his palms to direct his mind to full awakening, this offering is particularly noble: it is without any limit."
Having activated the mind that aspires to fully awaken, constantly make an effort to enhance it.
In order to recall it in subsequent lives as well, thoroughly safeguard your practices as it is taught.
Unless one binds oneself to the venturing mind [aspirational bodhicitta], one's perfect aspiration will never increase.
Therefore, one who wishes to enhance the bond with complete awakening, should try and make sure to accept it.
One who is already endowed with a vow of the seven categories of Individual Liberation [pratimoksha] can receive the bond of an Awakening Warrior; others not.
From the seven categories of Individual Liberation vows that were expounded by the Ones Thus Gone [Buddha], those of pure conduct are supreme: (the highest is) correctly asserted as the bond of a fully ordained monk.
In accordance with the ceremony expounded in the 'ethical discipline chapter' of the 'Awakening Warrior's Levels', accept the bond from a good spiritual master who has perfect characteristics. Anyone skilled in the ceremony of the bond, abiding in the bond himself, competent in bestowing the bond and compassionate is known as a qualified master. However, if you have tried and failed to find a master such as this, I shall explain a correct procedure for taking the bond other than that.
As in previous times when Manjushri was King Ambaraja, the way he activated his heart to awakening is explained in the 'Discourse Ornamenting the Buddha-field of Manjushri.'
Here I shall write most clearly in accordance with that: be in the presence of the Protectors for activating the complete awakening mind:
Keep as your guests all living beings to release them from cyclic existence;
A malicious mind, a mind of anger, avarice and envy, these should never occur from now until the attainment of complete awakening.
Act in pure conduct.
Work at abandoning evil and desire.
Be joyful in your bond with ethical discipline.
Emulate the practices of Buddha, the Awakened One.
Be not inclined to attain full awakening by a quick means just for yourself, but (be prepared to) remain until the extreme end (of time) for the cause of even a single sentient being.
Prepare for (the attainment of) pure realms, boundless and beyond imagination.
Work to be known by your name and to abide purely throughout the ten directions.
Always be pure in deeds of body and speech and also pure in the activity of the mind.
Never commit unwholesome actions.
Maintaining oneself in the bond through the aspiring mind is the cause of purifying one's body, speech and mind.
If these three ethical trainings are practiced well, one's respect for the three ethical trainings will increase.
Thus, abiding by the bond of an Awakening Warrior with perfect completeness, through effort will fulfill the accumulations for complete awakening.
Meditative Concentration (Samadhi)... The cause of fulfilling the accumulations which are in the nature of physical merit and pristine awareness is said by all Awakened Beings to be the generation of heightened awareness. Just as a bird whose wings have not developed is unable to soar in the sky, one who lacks the power of heightened awareness is unable to benefit sentient beings. Whatever merit accumulated in a day and a night for one who is endowed with heightened awareness cannot be gained in even a hundred lifetimes for someone lacking heightened awareness. Those wishing to quickly complete the accumulations for full awakening will gain the heightened awareness's by exerting an effort to do so: not by being lazy. (However,) without accomplishing tranquil absorption heightened awareness will never arise. Therefore exert an effort again and again to accomplish tranquil absorption.
Yet even if one meditates with great effort for thousands of years while the contributing factors for tranquil absorption are weakened, meditative concentration will never be attained. Therefore maintain these factors well as expounded in the chapter of the 'Accumulations for Concentration'. Place the mind virtuously on any single object. When the yoga of tranquil absorption is attained, heightened awareness will also be attained.
Method And Wisdom... To be lacking in the practice of transcendent intelligence [gnosis] will not eradicate mental obscuration. So in order to discard every emotional disturbance and mental obscuration to omniscience, meditate constantly on the yoga of transcendent intelligence conjoined with the method. The method separate from wisdom, and wisdom separate from the method also, are [both] taught to [result in] bondage [to cyclic existence], so do not forsake either.
What constitutes "wisdom"; what constitutes "method"?
To eliminate any doubt, I shall clarify the proper distinctions between method and wisdom. Aside from transcendent intelligence, every kind of virtuous practice such as that of transcendent generosity is explained by the Conquerors as being the method. By the power of acquaintance with the method and by (the awakening mind) itself, anyone who meditates on discriminating intelligence will quickly attain full awakening, (but) not through meditating on non-self-existence alone.
Discriminating Intelligence (Prajna)... Being aware of the emptiness of natural existence, which involves the realization that the aggregates, sensory spheres and bases are not created, is the full explanation of what constitutes "wisdom". It is impossible for existent entities to be created and also non-existence is like a flower in the sky. Since fallacies consequently will be present for either, both together can never arise.
Things are not created from themselves, nor from others, nor from both, nor from no cause. Therefore, essentially they have no nature in themselves.
Furthermore, when one analyses all phenomena as unitary or multiple, being essentially un-apprehensible (as such), one will ascertain that they lack any nature of their own. The reasons in such texts as (Nargarjuna's) 'Seventy Emptiness's' and his 'Fundamental Treatise on the Middle Way' show that the nature of all things is established as being empty. Because this text would become too extensive, I will not elaborate any further here. I just mention it to establish my tenets and to explain it properly for meditation.
Thus the nature of every single phenomenon is un-apprehensible. Whatever constitutes the meditation on non-self existence is the meditation of discriminating intelligence. Just as discriminating intelligence does not see any nature in all phenomena, mentally analyze that intelligence itself (and) meditate on that without any conceptualizing. As worldly existence arises from conceptualization, it is itself a conceptual thought. Therefore, the discarding of every conceptualization is the supreme state beyond sorrow.
Furthermore, Buddha the Endowed Destroyer has similarly stated:
"Conceptualization, the great ignorance, throws one into the ocean of cyclic existence.
Dwell in non-conceptualizing meditative concentration, clear, without concepts, like space."
Also he has said in the 'Mystic Recitation of Engaging in Non-conceptualization:'
"O Son of the Conqueror, in this high practice of Dharma, if one contemplates non-conceptually on appearance, one will transcend the difficult to pass conceptions and gradually will come to non-conceptuality."
Once you have attained through such scriptural sources and reasoning that phenomena - by lacking a nature of their own - in their entirety are uncreated, meditate without conceptualizing.
The Spiritual Paths And Levels... In this way, when one has meditated on Thus-ness, gradually, from attaining (the stages of the spiritual paths) such as "Warmth," (the spiritual levels of) the "Greatly Joyous" and so forth will be attained and the full awakening of a Buddha will not be far away.
The Tantric Path... By the activities of peacefulness, increase and so on that are accomplished only by the power of mantra and also by force of the eight great accomplishments, such as the siddhi of the auspicious vase, one can complete the accumulations for full awakening. If one wishes to blissfully practice the secret mantra as expounded in the tantras of Action, Performance and so on, then, for the bestowal of a qualified master's empowerment, one should offer gains, service, valuables and so on and carry out his words and the like so that by all means one makes the venerable master delighted. When the tantric master is well pleased, the full bestowal of an accomplished master's empowerment will give one the fortune to achieve actualization which, in its nature, is pure of all evil.
As it is clearly reflected in the 'Great Tantra of the Primary Buddha', the bestowal of the secret wisdom empowerment should not be (actually) taken by a celibate practitioner. Since one would be following a rejected practice, were one to hold that empowerment, while maintaining the pure conduct of an earnest practitioner, the vows of celibacy will be transgressed; the earnest practitioner will receive the downfall of defeat. In doing so, he [or she] will surely fall into a bad destiny without any accomplishment whatsoever. (However,) listening to and teaching all tantra, making fire offerings, giving Pujas and so on is without fault for one has received the master's empowerment and is aware of Thus-ness.
Conclusion... The venerable elder Shri Dipamkara, having seen explanations from the Dharma in the 'Discourses' and so forth, in being requested by Chang Chub O, has made this brief explanation of the path to full awakening.
The Lamp for the Path to Full Awakening, composed by the great master Dipamkara Shri Jnana, the "Glorious Illuminator of Primordial Awareness," is complete.
Colophon... Translated and settled into Tibetan from Sanskrit by the Indian abbot Dipamkara Shri Jnana and the Tibetan translator, the monk Gewai Lodro (Dge-ba'i blo-gros). Translated into English from Tibetan by Gonsar Tulku and Brian C. Beresford in accordance with the instructions of the Tibetan Lama Geshe Rabten (May 1975, Jan 1976, May 1978). Slightly edited by Rudy Harderwijk. Sarva Mangalam: May All Be Benefited
Last update: October 23, 2007
Hungry Ghosts
According to traditional Buddhist views of the psychological and spiritual cosmos, there are six temporary destinations in which it is possible to be born. Three levels below the realm of human beings is that of the hungry ghosts, petti-visaya in Pali. The wretched peta is often pictured as having a distended belly and tiny mouth, a graphic representation of insatiable hunger. All of us who have found ourselves caught up in an addiction know that it is quite possible to dwell in the nightmarish realm of hungry ghosts without being physically reborn there. I would like to briefly examine here some aspects of Theravada Buddhist meditation practice that may be of help in recovering from addictions.
After the first stages of withdrawal from alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, or other addictive substance have been completed - often with medical help - there may be a brief period of feeling intense relief and gratitude. The addict usually wants to believe that her/his new-found freedom from dependence on drugs will be lasting. "I have learned my lesson. I never want to go through that again." For a small minority of people who become addicted, once really does turn out to be enough. For most, however, there is a repetitive cycle of remorse, followed by obsessive thoughts about the addiction, then a renewed burst of acting out which is usually accompanied by a brief period of euphoria, even ecstasy. Efforts to sustain the 'high' inevitably fail and are followed once more by remorse. The recovering addict may try to distract his mind from thoughts of smoking that one last cigarette or impulsively gorging on food, but the terrible longing to resume the addiction attacks repeatedly. The return of intense craving is usually met either with anxiety about a relapse, or denial that the craving amounts to a real addiction. Denial eventually leads to a relapse, yet living with the fear of relapse can be intensely painful and limiting.
People caught up in addictions know only two basic approaches to craving and they exhaust themselves trying endless variations of each: (1) push the craving away, attempt to annihilate it; or, conversely, (2) find some way to gratify the craving while still managing to get along in the world. Insight meditation offers a third approach, but it is one that may at first seem about as remote and lacking in understanding as the advice to "just use willpower." A meditation teacher asks the student to just sit, calm the mind, and observe closely what is going on. It is a lot to expect an addict in the beginning stages of recovery to believe that "just sitting" will lead to anything but an intensification of craving, to endless thoughts about gratification. This form of meditation is not a sedative; it is going to bring craving and many other emotions into heightened awareness. It will require courage and patience to keep sitting. There may be relapses. Therefore participation in a twelve-step program is often advisable, at least during the early years of learning to live without relapses. Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous are both more warmly supportive and more tough-minded about addiction than a Buddhist community is likely to be. Before someone suffering from an addiction is likely to benefit from meditation he or she must have some understanding that neither denial of the power of craving nor compromise with gratification are going to work. Twelve-step programs are good places to learn this.
A number of years ago I finally gave up smoking and drinking with the help of a short course of intensive group therapy followed by regular attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous and chewing Nicorette gum during much of the day. I had experienced relapses in the past and yearned for a way to live with a sense of freedom and spontaneity in a world full of vivid reminders of my addictions. I had read about Buddhism and Taoism for many years. The ideas appealed to me and I had some realization that I would have to learn how to meditate in order to benefit from the teachings. In 1991 I took two classes in meditation and began a daily meditation practice. Gradually, I learned to experience the process of the development of craving in a much more concrete and detailed way than I had ever done before. I found that some skill in observing the process can be developed using whatever craving happens to come up during a meditation sitting.
Take the inevitable itch that all meditators experience, for example. As soon as there is any awareness of the itch, concentration is focused there. The itch is explored in the most penetrating detail: fluctuations in intensity; whether the area of the itch changes or remains just the same. Then the responses to the itch: the desire to scratch; annoyance at forcing oneself to simply sit and observe. Other reactions may arise quite unexpectedly if the mind is really calm and clear. It is very important to develop an awareness of any expectations one may hold as to what will happen, for these can influence the process of what develops and obscure awareness of other things that may be occurring.
During meditation it is very important to learn to see thoughts and feelings and physical sensations as clearly as possible in and of themselves, just as they are immediately experienced. Early Pali texts on meditation emphasize this again and again: "considering the body as body, mind as mind, feeling as feeling." Prior to learning something about how to meditate, I would get so caught up in strategies and feelings about how to get rid of the desire for a cigarette or a drink that I was distracted from experiencing the desire for just what it was as a physical sensation. Once I could be clear about the body sensation in and of itself, I found it was not nearly as intolerable as I had thought. KISS is an acronym often heard in 12-step circles: Keep It Simple Stupid.
While I was learning to explore addictive cravings in an allowing way, an image from my adolescence often came up. I was very fond of ocean swimming in those days. When swimming in the surf you must learn to put your arms over your head, hands together, and plunge right in to a wave just as it reaches you; no anticipation or delay, keeping right with the motion of the wave and offering as little resistance from the surface of the body as possible. If you duck or turn sideways, the wave will toss you around. I learned to dive through huge waves and to enjoy it immensely.
Something similar has now happened to the way I experience the cravings that once led to drinking and smoking. Many different things can get the process started. While writing this article I saw a television special on the life and work of Jackson Pollock. A close friend of Pollock's described his relapse into heavy drinking. There, suddenly, was a memory of myself standing by the kitchen sink, glass in hand, the taste of Dewars scotch vividly back in my mouth once more, and the anticipation of an exalted, omnipotent state associated with the early stages of getting drunk. It all came together much faster than it takes to describe. I was not meditating while watching the program so the process was far along before I was fully aware of it. Then I did go into a state of meditative concentration. I have learned how to do this rapidly when I sense that I need to. I went over the whole sequence as clearly as I could without pulling at any of the parts or pushing any of them away; simply watching them just as they were. The savoring of the Dewars and associated feelings went on for perhaps a minute and a half, no more. Then they were gone - abruptly and totally.
What took place during this brief, but intense experience? The memory was allowed full expression simply as memory, in and of itself. The Hungry Ghost from a long past of episodic drinking was nourished with penetrating attention. Absolutely nothing else was done; no attempt to distract the mind with 'positive thinking' or theorizing, no suppression, and no acting on the craving. I was practicing containment, just as with the itch. The impermanence of the craving was experienced directly, not as a mere concept, and this in turn provided positive reinforcement for using awareness meditation to deal with similar cravings in the future.
I have often wondered whether meditation could have helped me give up drinking and smoking at an earlier stage in the process. Probably so, but only when the craving was raw, not blunted with cigarettes or booze. There are many accounts of hard-drinking roshi, but I doubt that alcohol helped them toward enlightenment. The fifth Precept - maintaining sobriety - is there for a reason. Nine years after I started meditating I had to take prednisone <Prednisone.html> for an extended period. The resulting anxiety and other emotional distortions made meditation a futile exercise until my medical condition improved to the point where I could taper off the medication. When taking psychotropic medications or others that have emotional side effects, one simply has to test out what the effect on meditation may be. This is a time to learn compassion for ones own suffering.
Buddhism teaches that all emotional stress comes about because of craving [tanhâ, literally "thirst"] and that direct observation of how subjective experience is constructed leads to insight that provides a release from craving. Addiction, according to the Buddhist view, is not fundamentally different from other cravings. The fact that it is so seductive, painful and dangerous may give the addict an especially strong motivation to learn how to deal with it. Meditation can teach a way of coping with the return of craving that is successful enough to make craving no longer threatening. This, in turn, can allow the recovering addict to gradually give up fear of situations that once led to relapse. I never know when I may be visited by a wave of craving, but I now have a tested skill in dealing with it. (Author Unknown)
Positive Addiction... "Positive addiction" is a very useful concept. As a psychologist, I find it is beneficial to both those with, and those without, current problems in living. It is especially beneficial, however, to those in any sort of "rut." I believe it is essential to success in the martial arts. The concept is simple enough in itself and this article explains it in sufficient detail for you to implement it in your life. In fact, it is a startlingly simple notion.
We all know what comprises "addiction". "Addiction" is, in common usage, a harmful, socially disapproved and often illegal activity engaged in so as to quickly meet one's needs without real effort in any long term and constructive relationships or without any effort to develop oneself to be a better person or assist others. Most addictions occur in a relationship chain which is exploitive and harmful to others as well as the end-user. Addictions can be focused on activities as well as substances. The commonly used term "addiction" actually ought, more properly, to be called "negative addiction," as some addictions can be beneficial rather than destructive.
"Positive Addiction" is a notion developed by US psychiatrist Dr. Bill Glasser in 1976. He felt that it is possible to become 'addicted' to positive behavior, which develops the character and the body - for instance, running, aerobics, bike-riding, walking, mountain climbing, weight training, meditating, chanting, or regularly hitting a baseball, for a specific period each day ..... the list can be added to by you as long as the activity meets the seven criteria below and doesn't become negative in that it impacts negatively on your health, work or relationships. These positive addictions (having nothing to do with drugs, alcohol, smoking - or even overeating or drinking too much coffee) can strengthen a person so they can overcome negative addictions, and lead a more integrated and rewarding life. Of course, martial arts - such as Wing Chun Kuen, also certainly fill the bill in terms of PA!
Positive addiction (PA) fulfills the seven following criteria:
it is something noncompetitive that you choose to do and you can devote approximately forty-five minutes to an hour a day to;
it is possible for you to do it easily, in the sense of organizing to do it, and it doesn't take a great deal of mental effort to do it;
you can do it alone (more rarely with others) - but independently of others - not depending on their presence or encouragement to continue;
you believe it has some value (physical, mental, or spiritual) for you;
you believe that if you persist at it you will improve but this is completely subjective - you need to be the only one who measures that improvement;
the activity must be one you can perform without negatively criticizing yourself;
it must be undertaken several times a week until you reach "the PA state."
Engaging in an activity which is enjoyable without excessive concentration, in a non-self-critical way - a "Zen-like," "zone," or "transcendental" state in which you simply and relaxedly do something automatically without effort or concern, just as an experienced Wing Chun practitioner performs, is essentially what Glasser sees as a "PA state." PA energizes you to meet your needs and you will find the PA mind-set is exceptionally beneficial in practicing Wing Chun.
PA is a great way to energize yourself to meet your needs, overcome negative addictions and help in leading a happier life. Describing it is simple, doing it until it becomes an addiction (something you can't do without, become agitated if you don't have it, will work to indulge in, and enjoy intensely) is up to you. The choice is yours. If you choose PA, you certainly won't regret it! (by Zopa Gyatso)
Disclaimer: All images and/or articles retain the original copyrights of their original owners. 7/6/07
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