Meeting Yourself in the Present Moment

Spiritual practice is not about meeting God, but about meeting yourself.

Spiritual practice and life are one. The purpose of spiritual practice is to solve practical problems in life. Talking about spiritual practice apart from life is inevitably an escape from reality. When spiritual practice begins with practical problems, every problem becomes a training ground. As long as you focus on the present moment, cooking, washing dishes, and doing housework are also forms of spiritual practice.

As long as you live truthfully, earnestly, and with awareness—constantly examining yourself, discarding your arrogance, greed, expectations, and fears, and seeing the different stages of life with a pure heart—you and I can become masters of life.

True spiritual practice is not on a mountain or in a temple. It cannot be separated from society or reality. You must live in spiritual practice and practice in life. Your work environment is your training ground, your mandala.

What is spiritual practice? Does it necessarily mean leaving life behind to go to a temple, worship Buddha, and chant scriptures? Does it necessarily mean dedicating yourself solely to meditation and reading spiritual books?

Cooking, washing dishes, and doing housework are also forms of spiritual practice.

Spiritual practice often conjures images of reclusive hermits in remote mountains, sitting under the open sky, meditating, wandering, and pondering the meaning of the universe and human existence. However, the true definition of spiritual practice is far more grounded. Practicing in daily life is infinitely braver than "hiding away" to cultivate oneself in isolation. Balancing work and family, stress and health, desires, impermanence, and emotional joys and sorrows... seeking balance amidst these complex relationships allows us to see life as it truly is.

In short, as long as you focus on the present moment—cooking, washing dishes, doing housework—it is also a form of spiritual practice.

When spiritual practice begins with practical problems, every problem becomes a training ground. Spiritual practice must begin with practical problems; it cannot be empty talk or abstract discourse.

Don't let spiritual practice become an excuse to escape reality or troubles. Spiritual practice is not a way of running away; cultivating the Tao is not about creating a path to escape. Spiritual practice should not become a form of mental entertainment.

The true training ground is not a temple, a meditation hall, a mountain forest, or a place where practitioners gather. The true training ground is every present moment, every immediate existence, and every thought.

If you have marital problems, that problematic marriage is your training ground. If you have problems in your relationship with your partner, that relationship is your training ground. If you have conflicts with colleagues, those conflicts are your training ground. If you're bored with life, that boredom is your training ground. If you have financial problems, money is your training ground. If you fear life and death, those fears are your training ground.

Your training ground is in every place of suffering, in every place where you are stuck or impeded. Spiritual practice must begin there.

Spiritual practice is not about meeting God, but about meeting yourself.

Spiritual practice should be done where there is a problem, addressing and resolving that problem.

Thank you for reading!