"Practice"

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Often people speak of "practice" in the Buddhist context.

As far as I can tell, there's not really an analogous expression for "practice" in the Pali Canon and in translations of suttas, you don't hear anyone mentioning their "practice" or the "practice" of others.

So, I thought it might be worth clarifying and discussing... what does "practice" mean to you?

Metta,
Retro.

[DNS]

Good point; that you never see the term 'practice' and it seems to be a modern interpretation / translation.

For me practice is anytime we focus on mindfulness and concentration. Practice can be in the sitting meditation position or any other time when we notice or focus on mindfulness, concentration, or become consciously aware of our intentions toward the brahma viharas or paramitas.

And then the 'performance' is -- you guessed it -- life itself.

[kc2dpt]

Pretty much this:

"And what, monks, is right effort?

"There is the case where a monk generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the non-arising of evil, unskillful qualities that have not yet arisen.

[ii] "He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the abandonment of evil, unskillful qualities that have arisen.

[iii] "He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the sake of the arising of skillful qualities that have not yet arisen.

[iv] "He generates desire, endeavors, activates persistence, upholds & exerts his intent for the maintenance, non-confusion, increase, plenitude, development, & culmination of skillful qualities that have arisen: This, monks, is called right effort."

— SN 45.8

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Interesting... TheDhamma seems to put a meditation/bhavana spin on it, Peter takes it to be Right Effort, and presumably others view it with different emphasis too.

When I think of "practice", I think of it wholistically in terms of the Noble Eightfold Path, with anything that contributes to Right X, being the "practice".

Thanks for the perspectives... keep 'em coming!

Metta,
Retro.

[appicchato]

Thank you Peter...

For me, succinctly put, SN 45.8 says it all...

[Jechbi]

Howdy Retro,

Well, when I use the word "practice," I really mean the whole enchilada, everything we do to apply the Buddha's teachings in our life. Personally I don't find it useful to apply the term "practice" just to meditation practice, because all the things I do off the cushion -- talking, working, eating, etc. -- influence what occurs on the cushion. So if I don't regard all the off-cushion time as part of "practice," then I'm not being realistic.

I guess I do make a distinction between those times when I have "situational awareness," and those times when I'm more or less obliviously plodding along or even willfully ignorant. The former I regard as "practice," the latter I regard as goofing off. Like now, for example, as I type, I regard this as "practice," because I'm trying to apply the Buddha's teachings in terms of right speech, right effort, etc. But if I'm driving a car in busy traffic and get angry at a slow driver and act on it by honking the horn in a punitive manner (yeah, it happens sometimes, hate to admit), then I don't regard that as "practice." But the moment I become aware that I'm getting angry in slow traffic, for example, the moment I choose to apply the teachings in the moment, whatever is occuring, I regard that as "practice."

I regard "practice" as any time I am directly engaged in any aspect of the noble 8fold path. I like to think I'm practicing all the time, but I know better. There are times when I'm going in the opposite direction. I don't regard those times as "practice."

I have no specific scriptural support for any of this that I can cite (though Peter's citation is great). I might be completely wrong about how I apply the term "practice." But personally, that's how I use the term, now that you ask. Thanks for asking.

[retrofuturist]

Greetings Jechbi,

Thanks for the detailed account! I can relate... that's how I use the term too, and what I meant about Right X.

Metta,
Retro.

[piotr]

Hi,

As far as I can tell, there's not really an analogous expression for "practice" in the Pali Canon and in translations of suttas, you don't hear anyone mentioning their "practice" or the "practice" of others.

I think that word for "practice" in Pāli is "bhāvāna", and "to practice" is "bhāveti". But usually translators pick out another word, for example "to develop", "keep in being", etc.

[kiss]

...to lead a practical buddhist way of life, one must essentially develop Moral Discipline (Sila), Concentration (Samadhi) and Wisdom (Panna). There are three other simple methods to practice Buddhism. They are: Dana, Sila and Bhavana.

above is quoted from Ven. K Sri Dhammananda's "How to Practice Buddhism".

i'm not the intellectual type. to a practical person like me, "practice" in the Buddhist context means learning to apply Buddhist teachings in one's daily life. for my case, my practice is learning the abovementioned Dana, Sila and Bhavana.

[vitellius]

I would like to second piotr. Practice corresponds to bhavana, development/cultivation [of skillful (kusala) qualities]:
http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philol ... :3558.pali" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.palikanon.com/english/wtb/b_f/bhaavanaa.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

And may be also sikkhā, "training":
http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philol ... 1:110.pali" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Extensive use of term "meditation" in European languages is of more interest to me. You may compare how often this word is used in translations of suttas and in modern meditation instructions...

[Cittasanto]

cease to do evil, to develop what is good, to purify the mind, this is the whole of the teaching

that says the lot I think

[Ben]

Hi Retro

What I mean when I use the word 'practice' is, dana, sila, bhavana and pariyatti. But usually whenever I am discussing issues of my own practice it ususally centres on my meditation 'practice'.
Kind regards

Ben

[kc2dpt]

Jechbi, well said.

piotr, I was just going to post the same thing. I agree that the scriptures talk of "bhavana" or "developing the path" seems analogous to when we here say "practice". Also when people talk of their "teacher and training" or "dhamma and discipline".

practice: the actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method as opposed to theories about such application or use

[Hoo]

Likely because I am new to the path, my practice seems best defined as Dhamma and discipline. I found I need to put some structure in my days if I want to study and meditate each day.

Since I retired, I've done things pretty much as I chose to. Forgetting that I wanted to do a particular thing was no biggie. There was always tomorrow.

But that set up some bad habits that needed correcting. I'm not inflexible, just aware that I need to err on the side of discipline

Steve

[Ngawang Drolma.]

This is interesting and I'm glad Retro started this discussion. When I use the word "practice" I mean the things I do when I sit down on the cushion.
But now I'm rethinking it.