Prof. Jerry Braza is a Dharmacharya (lamp, or Dharma Teacher) in the Vietnamese Zen tradition represented by Thich Nhat Hanh. He leads the River Sangha, in Salem, OR. Jerry is also a Professor of Health at Western Oregon University, in Monmouth, OR. This is a recent reflection of his regarding our practice.

Sutra on a Better Way to Practice

By Jerry Braza, True Great Response

I heard these words of Sister Jina one day when she was staying at the Deer Park Monastery with many venerables including Thich Nhat Hanh. The senior bikuni who spent over 13 years at Plum Village instructed the lay community attending the Winter Retreat; She said that there is “a better way to practice”; when one leaves the retreat by writing your own sutra as Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh has recommended. The Sutrashould inspire us with various aspects of our practice and above all create joy when it is read. When writing a sutra, begin by looking deeply at our practice and see which areas need to be strengthened.

Areas to consider include stopping, walking, eating, meditations, and communication. It is written in such away that it does not create a “should” but stated in a way that will offer a way of deepening our practice. When the sutra is read, it will water the positive seeds and strengthen the practices we are attempting to embody. While reading the sutra, go beyond the words and visualize how they will affect everyday life.

Today, I begin anew. Today, is a new day and I live each moment freshly by “letting go.” The past no longer affects me.

I live fully in each moment by being aware of my in-breath and out-breath. I bring joy and relieve the suffering of my beloved and others. I water the seeds of loving-kindness in myself and others.

Stopping is my practice. Bells, people, meals, and tea remind me to enjoy the full length of my in-breath and out breath.

By stopping, my mind is calmed through mindfulness. By concentrating, the opportunity is available to experience each moment as for the first time.

By letting go, I am mindful, my concentration is enhanced, and I gain insights through the process of looking deeply.

There is no need to seek happiness. I simply look around and experience each moment deeply.

I do not seek anything.? I am enough. I have already arrived. Happiness is available in the here and in the now.

Today, I am aware of my speech. Listening is the key to communication. I listen deeply and through breathing know when to be quiet or to speak.? By stopping, breathing, and being aware of what is on the tip of my tongue, I know when to be quiet and how to speak with love and compassion.

I create the space needed for solitude so that the seeds will emerge from the store consciousness. By looking deeply, an awareness of impermanence and interbeing arises. I am not a separate self and my actions affect all beings in the present moment. My practice is not only for me but for all beings.

By stopping, I nourish myself in the present moment, look deeply into the objects of mindfulness, and discover the doorway to the ultimate dimension. Heaven is found in the here and in the now.

My eyes and presence offer the conditions needed for love. I water the seeds of love by keeping my heart open, practicing the mindfulness trainings, and being generous.

Being is more important than doing. Becoming is more important than achieving. Loving is most important.