Teachings  

About the Institute | Nitartha international | Questions & Answers | Teachings | Governance

Approaching Practice: the Analogy of the Begging Bowl

by Acharya Lama Tenpa Gyaltsen
an article from the forthcoming book on analytical meditation, to be published in the Nitartha Institute Series by Snow Lion Publications.

Our mind and heart are like the begging bowl we might see a Buddha statue holding.

In general, people have the strange idea that their begging bowl is empty. This idea is deeply rooted in our mind. It makes us uncomfortable, and we worry and feel fear without any apparent reason. We become restless and start to search outside of ourselves for something to fill our empty begging bowl. No matter how long we search or how far, we still feel our bowl is empty.

Living with the idea of an empty begging bowl is painful and unhealthy. If we enter a spiritual path or meditation practice with the idea of filling the begging bowl, we will be disappointed. For example, this could happen in a teacher and student relationship. The teacher comes to the student with an empty bowl hoping that the student will fill it, and the student comes to the teacher with an empty bowl wishing that the teacher will fill it. In the end, they both feel their bowl is still empty. Then the teacher-student relationship falls apart, and they search for another student or teacher.

The same can happen in a relationship with a partner. Two people come together with the idea that the other will fill their empty bowl. The boyfriend thinks his girlfriend will fill his empty begging bowl, and the girlfriend thinks her boyfriend will fill her empty begging bowl. At some point, they realize their begging bowl is still empty, and they blame it on each other. Then they switch partners and end up spinning around and around in circles. This is the meaning of cyclic existence or samsara: going around in circles and searching outside of ourselves to fill our begging bowl. But our bowl never gets filled, and we keep cycling around and around.

Even though we feel strongly that our begging bowl is empty, we do not know what is missing. No matter what we achieve or buy or what we are given, no matter if we get diamond rings or wonderful cars, we still feel that something is missing. Our begging bowl is still empty.

Actually, our begging bowl is not empty. It has been full right from the beginning. Therefore, we should start our meditation thinking that our begging bowl is full. Whatever our spiritual path or life activity, if we start with the motivation that our begging bowl is actually full, all will be healthy. Analytical meditation is not a technique to fill our empty begging bowl. Through analytical meditation, we find that our begging bowl is full. We discover that our bowl has just been covered up, and we find a way to take off the cover.

Wanting to benefit all sentient beings is the meaning of engendering bodhichitta, and that thought is considered to be very valuable in Buddhism. If we think that our begging bowl is empty, how can we ever benefit others? It would be mere lip service. If we feel deep in our hearts that our begging bowl is empty, we might be able to engender a vague idea of benefiting others, but it would be a coarse imitation of bodhichitta. The attitude of feeling empty in the deepest part of our hearts prevents the coarse thought of bodhichitta from turning into something genuine. Therefore, it is important to first train the mind to hold the thought that our begging bowl is full. 

Our motivation in any activity should not be to fill the bowl, but to find the fullness that naturally occurs in the bowl. How do we go bring about the insight and the perception that the begging bowl has always been full? With this question in mind, imagine that the begging bowl is full but covered by a lid of some sort. Meditation practice can remove this lid, and allow us to open the bowl. We can carry this motivation into our meditation session.

We do not need the thought that our bowl is empty. We can let go of that thought and simply have the attitude that our begging bowl has always been full. 

The Buddha said that our begging bowl is not empty and that it has never been empty. The Buddha taught us that Buddha Nature exists in our minds. Buddha Nature is a naturally occurring source of positive qualities that lies within each sentient being. This is the best type of motivation to carry into our analytical meditation session: to relinquish the thought that our begging bowl has been empty, to train in the thought that it has always been full, and to gain confidence that it has always been full. Even if we are not able to recognize that our mind has Buddha Nature, we can continually remind ourselves that we have Buddha Nature, and we can remind ourselves that our begging bowl is not empty. It has always been full. 

Practice

First be aware of the breath. Observe the outgoing breath and the incoming breath.

When aware of the breath, gently be aware of your own basic goodness. Rest within this awareness of basic goodness.

This basic goodness manifests into a blue ball at our navel chakra. Visualize a blue sphere in the area of the navel chakra. Do not worry about the size. The blue ball is symbolic of our spiritual heart. Then take a moment to rest. Imagine and mentally say three times, "I am healing myself. I wish to be happy."

From this blue ball, another limitless blue ball emanates and enters into everyone who is sitting with you. Imagine and mentally say three times, "May this person be healed. May they be happy." Slowly extend this emanated blue ball out to all sentient beings.

Check your motivation for going on the spiritual path. What is your reason for following the path you have chosen?