| Our sadhana (daily prayers) might take up an hour | | | | The time we are off our meditation cushion is when |
| each day. But the time that we are actually thinking, | | | | we are really doing our sadhana. "Sadhana" actually |
| acting and associating with others makes up the other | | | | means to "self-generate" or "change oneself" - in |
| 23 hours of the day. These 23 hours are much more | | | | certain Buddhist practices, we transform ourselves into |
| important than the one hour we're doing our sadhanas. | | | | a Buddha during our meditational time; we visualise |
| As we are doing our sadhanas, we are reciting | | | | ourselves as the deity and learn to identify with their |
| prayers so we cannot say many negative things with | | | | enlightened qualities. |
| our speech; or we are thinking about a Dharma | | | | Therefore, when we are out of our sadhanas, we |
| subject so our minds are focused on something | | | | should act out what we have been "doing" and |
| positive. We also cannot do much harm with our bodily | | | | visualising during our sadhanas. When else will we |
| actions because we have to keep still while we are | | | | actually act out the prayers, the aspirations and the |
| doing our prayers. To some degree, most of our body, | | | | motivations we create during our sadhanas? Another |
| speech and mind are focused on the Three Jewels | | | | life? Another year? Another time? No. We do it |
| and on prayer. | | | | immediately when we finish our sadhanas. |
| But when we are out of our sadhana, during the rest | | | | One hour of our sadhana is not meant to cover the 23 |
| of the 23 hours - that is the most dangerous. That is | | | | hours in the day. The 23 hours is a training ground for |
| when we are lazy, we engage in negative actions or in | | | | that one hour. So, if we hold our vows, make an effort, |
| no action or we don't push ourselves to doing | | | | apologise, are kind and generous, create happiness, |
| something more with our lives. The time we are out of | | | | help others, give away food, love and Dharma for 23 |
| our sadhana is when we create more negative karma. | | | | hours in a day, then our sadhanas become very |
| Doing our sadhana is to correct our motivation - to | | | | powerful when we sit down and do it for that one |
| think about the Dharma, about why we are here, about | | | | hour. |
| what we have learnt, about our own actions, to | | | | Think of it this way: Your sadhana takes just one hour |
| contemplate cause and effect and to think about what | | | | a day. That amounts to only seven hours a week. |
| we want to do when we are out of our sadhanas. | | | | There are another 141 (23 x 7) hours a week that you |
| Our sadhanas are not the real Dharma practice. The | | | | have wasted. So, what's more powerful? 141 hours a |
| time out of our sadhanas is our real Dharma practice | | | | week or seven hours a week? The one hour that |
| because that is how we really are: how we deal with | | | | you're sending love out to people every day, forgiving, |
| things when we become upset or when disasters | | | | crying and thinking about the Buddhas amounts to only |
| happen, how we act and behave when we are not | | | | about seven hours a week. That is only 28 hours a |
| being watched and how we carry out our | | | | month compared to what could be 560. |
| responsibilities | | | | |