This “pilot” of sorts called ‘Ask Us Anything’ marks the start of a monthly, open-audience, open-discussion with co-host Denny K Miu mostly about meditation practices and related topics.
Our format isn’t set in stone, but it may gel more over time. We may invite guests. Audience members may talk more. We may freestyle with zero preparation, or do the opposite and pre-plan for (highly) specific theme or topic. Feedback is welcome and encouraged.
Some topics we discussed:
- The importance and intent of/for (a) daily (meditation) practice (for ourselves and how to help aspiring meditators)
- The importance of feedback on/about/in/with/for meditation training/practice — including feedback from self, spiritual friends and teacher(s)
- The Buddha’s four ways to answer questions:
- In Walpola Rahula’s short introduction to Buddha’s teaching, What the Buddha Taught [PDF], one reads that the Buddha evidently replied to questions in one of four ways:
- He answered some questions directly.
- He analyzed some questions to determine what they meant.
- He answered some questions by replying with counter-questions.
- He put some questions off to the side.
- In Walpola Rahula’s short introduction to Buddha’s teaching, What the Buddha Taught [PDF], one reads that the Buddha evidently replied to questions in one of four ways:
- Practice wisdom and lessons during lockdown
- How to establish a formal meditation practice
Other AUA references:
“Meditation, or Chan, Buddhism is perhaps the most Sinicized (rendered Chinese) of all Buddhist denominations. Because of the initial difficulty and obscurity of Buddhist sutras to the Chinese audience, many of whom were Daoists, the Chinese emphasized an intuitive understanding with or without the reading of the sutras, which is the original meaning of Chan, or meditation.”
- On what’s skillful, wholesome, important and what to pay attention to:
“….don’t go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, ‘This contemplative is our teacher.’ When you know for yourselves that, ‘These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering’ — then you should abandon them.”
“….overcome by [greed, ill will, and/or delusion] his mind possessed by [greed, ill will, and/or delusion] kills living beings, takes what is not given, goes after another person’s wife, tells lies, and induces others to do likewise, all of which is for long-term harm & suffering.“
From the Kalama Sutta
“As for the qualities of which you may know, ‘These qualities lead to utter disenchantment, to dispassion, to cessation, to calm, to direct knowledge, to self-awakening, to Unbinding’: You may categorically hold, ‘This is the Dhamma, this is the Vinaya, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’”
From the Gotami Sutta
“As for the qualities of which you may know, ‘These qualities lead to dispassion, not to passion; to being unfettered, not to being fettered; to shedding, not to accumulating; to modesty, not to self-aggrandizement; to contentment, not to discontent; to seclusion, not to entanglement; to aroused persistence, not to laziness; to being unburdensome, not to being burdensome’: You may categorically hold, ‘This is the Dhamma, this is the Vinaya, this is the Teacher’s instruction.’”
From the Satthusasana Sutta
Audio: Why We Practice | (8/25/2020 — Introducing: ‘Ask Us Anything’ With Denny K Miu)
Join Denny live (with me sometimes commenting post-practice) Saturdays online for Yi Jin Jing and mindful joint, stretching, breathing, and qi exercises at 8:00am Pacific via:
Full list of links at DennyKMiu.com
Integrating Presence 
9 thoughts on “Why We Practice | (8/25/2020 — Introducing: ‘Ask Us Anything’ With Denny K Miu)”