The Essential Sangharakshita

I've decided I'm not going to put images of books up any more, just hot links. But I wanted to put this last one up, because I frequently begin my day by reading this excellent book, that in my opinion, maybe 500 years from now will be a great Mahayana sutra. Right now it's an awesome book that just keeps slamming away at me. I've read it before and I've read most of it before it was all collected into one place, and I'm still constantly impressed by it, feel the intensity of his challenge to deepen my spiritual practice.

I've been sick with a nasty virus for 3 weeks, and before that I was going through some major changes in my life, which are ongoing and I don't want to go into them, but I've drifted a little.

Sangharakshita says you shouldn't make a vow unless you're already doing it, but I want to just say publically (though surely fairly ingnored), that I'm aspiring to reconnect with the bedrock of my spiritual practice--meditation. As Sangharakshita says in the System of Meditatation lecture, the Buddha's enlightenment experiences comes from meditation, he was meditating when he became enlightened. Meditation is key in a more serious practice.

It's OK to be an ethnic or a nominal Buddhist, but I want more, to follow the Buddha Dharma laid out by the Buddha and his inspired deciples. Of course ethical and Dharma spreading actions are very useful (vegetarianism is one among many practices that promote less harm in the world). Sangha and relationships with spiritual friends is very important. Studying the Dharma and understanding the tradition are important. Chanting inspired thoughts in a puja is very important. Reflecting and thinking in general and about the Dharma is very important.

And I am not saying anything about someone's practice, who doesn't meditate, but for me, meditation is the bedrock, the foundation of my practice. And I want to get more back to that. That is really important to me.