dharma practice ~ october 2026
My meditation practice got seriously bloated this summer. There was a lot of contemplation, visualisation, concentration, and everything in between.
It really helped me come deeper into the heart-centre of awareness, but such a practice was only possible because I had seven weeks off work. I tried my best to make it work when I returned, but it was not possible.
I've now stripped it down into a practice that can be done in 5 minutes by a simple recitation, or it can be done over the course of 30-40 minutes with extended mantra repetition and visualisation.
The key part is that I no longer get decision paralysis about which part of my practice I should squeeze into unpredictable windows of time.
It is also built around a recent realisation that taking refuge is really the most fundamental aspect of Buddhist practice. I will explain more about the mechanics of that in a later post.
May my motivation to practice come from a deep realisation of the interconnection of all life and environment,
Because there is no lasting refuge from suffering for beings in this cold, hostile, material realm of samsara,
May I realise that the woes of samsara cannot be solved by means of samsara,
And so that I may cultivate bodhicitta, the embodied, awakened heart-mind, for the benefit of all beings,
I take refuge in Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha (x3)
Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Shakyamuni Svaha (while visualising Buddha Shakyamuni)
By the merit of this practice, may I have the patience and understanding to respond to each moment and being from the primordial wisdom of and compassion of my heart,
To live from the heart, so the actions of my body, speech, and mind help to reduce the suffering and causes of suffering for all