An American Zen Buddhist training center in the Mountains and Rivers Order, offering Sunday programs, weekend retreats and month-long residencies.
Filed in Tibetan
37 Practices of the Bodhisattva, Verse 1
Right now, you have a good boat, fully equipped and available—hard to find.
To free others and you from the sea of samsara,
Day and night, fully alert and present,
Study, reflect, and meditate—this is the practice of a bodhisattva.
Commentary
By Ken McLeod
The first verse of the 37 Practices of the Bodhisattva is a reminder of how rare the opportunity to practice is and how potentially important it is. If you think of the number of people in the world, what percentage of them really devote any substantial amount of time to spiritual practice? What percentage of them are even inclined to do so? And the fact that we are willing and interested in this kind of an approach to life is very rare. And so we are encouraged to make the most of it. Take a few moments right now and reflect on what makes it possible for you to practice.
To watch videos of Ken McLeod delivering his translation and commentaries on The 37 Practices of the Bodhisattva, click here.
Ken McLeod is the director of Unfettered Mind (unfetteredmind.org), based in Los angeles. he is the author of Wake Up to Your Life and An Arrow to the Heart.
Artwork: © Tanya Johnstone/Getty
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