Retreats

Reflecting with Ratnavyuha

Buddhist reflection inspires action & shapes our lives

While mindfulness, compassion and patience can thin the veil of ignorance that causes us suffering, some part of the veil will still be in place.

In order to remove the veil more fully, we need to cultivate reflections around topics such as "the Buddha was a human being just like us, and we too can accomplish what the Buddha achieved"; or "There are faults within conditioned existence, and sentient beings who are under the delusion that samsara offers nirvana create dukkha for themselves and others".

Reflection may seem passive and intellectual, but actually it can engage the emotions and encourages action.

(And it can be argued that the latter of the two reflections above promotes more active change than contemplating the virtues of the Tathagatas.)

Vasubandhu, a 5th century monk and scholar, is one of the most influential thinkers in the Indian Buddhist philosophical tradition. His four contemplations (four factors, including the two above) allow us to cultivate conditions by which wisdom can arise, and by which the bodhicitta arises with our collaboration.

Reflections of this type can be deeply emotional, as well as instructive. Most effective reflections are pretty straightforward, but we often don't reflect enough. We need more and more of less and less in this respect.

Ratnavyuha will introduce the theme of reflection, and lead us through reflections that, if done regularly, could change our lives.

When

Cost