Spiritual Preparation

[Martin Do]

Dear Andrea,

Thank you for your generous advise above as well as your generous effort with the provision of information. I am very grateful for it and hope others too will benefit from all the generous advise given on this thread.

Thank you and kindest regards

Martin

[Kingmonkey]

Hey Martin my dear Brother

How is your spiritual preparation / cultivation going???

May be you would like to give your answer to my question here

sincerely Pat

Namo Amitabha Buddha

[Martin Do]

Hello Pat dear brother,

Sorry for this late reply as I have been away on a fantastic holiday with my wife and two childrens in Spain. Before I reply to your post above I just wanted to share what I thought was extremely funny whilst on holiday. I am quite passionate about practicing the Shaolin arts and during my holiday I would still get up at 6 am every day and practiced for a couple of hours before breakfast. To my surprise, I discovered that there were other people who had their own passion too and would get up before sunrise at 6am like me, not for the Shaolin Arts, but...............toweling (putting towels on sun loungers to claim their space). I thought it was very funny. I then thought of toweling for them all for a few euro's each so that they won't have to get out of bed so early since I am up anyway .

Regarding your question Pat, thank you for asking. My practice of spiritual cultivation has been very very good. I enjoyed it very much and have been doing it daily since my initial post above. I haven't had any wow experiences but this was not my motivation for starting this practice nor is it an aim of mine.

One of the main reason for me to start the practice I enlisted above in my initial post was to start formally my spiritual preparation. Another great motivation for me to pursue this was when I read what Sigung had said in his book, that reciting a Sultra and/or chanting a Budha's name was one of the highest form of charity one can give. For these reason's I enjoy my practice very much and feel extremely honored and grateful that I have the opportunity and appreciation in my heart to pursue this practice.

I hope this answers your question Pat.

I do actually have an embarassing question regarding my practice which I was hoping someone could give me some advise on . At the moment, When I have been with my wife in a (not sure how to put this) loving way the night before (I hope I don't have to elaborate on this ), I tend not to perform my spiritual practice the following morning. This is just instinct. Is this correct or can I still recite Sultra's and chant a Budha's name the following morning?

Best wishes Pat and many blessings to you and your childrens.

Kindest regards

Martin

[George]

To my surprise, I discovered that there were other people who had their own passion too and would get up before sunrise at 6am like me, not for the Shaolin Arts, but...............toweling (putting towels on sun loungers to claim their space). I thought it was very funny. I then thought of toweling for them all for a few euro's each so that they won't have to get out of bed so early since I am up anyway

LOL

I do actually have an embarassing question regarding my practice which I was hoping someone could give me some advise on . At the moment, When I have been with my wife in a (not sure how to put this) loving way the night before (I hope I don't have to elaborate on this ), I tend not to perform my spiritual practice the following morning. This is just instinct. Is this correct or can I still recite Sultra's and chant a Budha's name the following morning?

I don't see a problem at all - it's as wholesome as the experience gets.

If you want to get really technical about it then it probably reduces the effectiveness of you practice a bit (and does nothing to reduce your attachment to the phenomenal realm ) but your practice will still be very beneficial.

I'm pretty sure our level of progress in spiritual cultivation is already greater than many monks, despite us living in the "real world" with all its distractions.


Best wishes,

[Martin Do]

Hello George Sihing,

Thank you for your kind advise. However, I am afraid I had not phrased my question above well. What I meant to say was that I do not practise the following morning out of respect for the Budha's name I chant and respect for the sultra I recite. I had thought skipping the following morning would give me a day to cleanse myself through my regular chi kung practice before I resume reciting sultras and chanting a Budha's name. Is this necessary and appropriate out of respect for the Budha's name I chant and the sultra I recite or does it not matter?

Thank you and kindest regards

Martin-Sidai

[George]

However, I am afraid I had not phrased my question above well. What I meant to say was that I do not practise the following morning out of respect for the Budha's name I chant and respect for the sultra I recite.

I understood what you meant and I don't believe that it is something that you need to "clense" from. I mean, are you doing something you are ashamed of? Is it unwholesome?

Be careful about creating such blockages in your mind.


Best wishes,

[Martin Do]

Thanks again for your advice George Sihing.

Kindest regards

Martin-Sidai

[Kingmonkey]

Hey Martin

There's a very famous quote from our Sigung, which I suppose fits this issue as good as any other.....

guess which one

exactly

I don't believe that it is something that you need to "clense" from. I mean, are you doing something you are ashamed of? Is it unwholesome?

Be careful about creating such blockages in your mind.

I agree with George.

The Buddhist percepts for laymen say : I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct.

If you were a monk this would be something different.

What should be so wrong with being with your loving wife in a loving way? If the Buddha doesn't understand, who will then?

An other wise one from our Sigung: "don't intellectualise" as George pointed out in a different way.

But I think I know what you mean. If you have made love the night before, the effect of that experience will last until the other day and as making love binds you a bit more to the phenomenal realm, you might not feel like being "spiritual" at the moment.F.e. if I sit down in the morning to meditate, after such a night, its a bit harder to get into deep meditation sometimes, but, as sooner as I get back to my practise, the sooner I am in it again....

So; ah, don't worry, enjoy yourself.

yours Pat

Namo Amitabha Buddha
Namo Amitabha Buddha
Namo Amitabha Buddha

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PS: I just got home from the second day of Sigungs Kung Fu course here in Switzerland and I can only say; its beyond discription, its just WOW...

[Martin Do]

Hi Pat,

Thank you for your kind advise above. Its much appreciated.

Kindest regards

Martin

[Kingmonkey]

You're very well welcome brother