Seven-Limb Practice

Here is a very nice explanation of the 7-Limb practice.

Here's a bit of the beginning of the teaching:

Alexander Berzin
Berlin, Germany, January 9, 2001

This evening, I would like to explain in a more down-to-earth way the preliminaries that we do at the beginning of each of our classes on Shantideva's text, Engaging in Bodhisattva Behavior(Bodhisattvacharya-avatara). They include the seven-limbpractice, which derives from this text. Doing these preliminaries before listening to and learning the Dharma helps us to establish a properly receptive state of mind. We use the same set of practices before daily meditation or Dharma study sessions at home.



If we are doing these practices as a preliminary to meditation at home, we need to sweep and tidy the room beforehand, as we do before class. If papers or clothing are scattered all over the room, for example, we need to put them away. While doing this, we think, "May my mind become clear, clean, and orderly, just as I am making the room."

It is very important to meditate and study in an environment in which everything is neat, clean, and in order. This is also true for our place of work. What we see, even peripherally, greatly affectsour states of mind. If everything around us is messy, our minds tend also to be messy. Moreover, it is helpful to have our places of study or meditation be aesthetically pleasing.  Seeing a beautiful surrounding usually makes the mind happy, and a happy state of mind is receptive to doing something constructive.

Each morning, after washing ourselves and cleaning the room, we make a water bowl offering. This does not need to be with the usual seven bowls if that is inconvenient. Offering simply a single cup of clean water is sufficient. We are not trying to impress anyone. If we wish, we can also offer candles, flowers, incense, and so on; but that is optional. Not only are we creating a beautiful space for inviting the Buddhas and great masters in our visualizations, as is traditionally explained; we are also arranging the room in such a way that it makes us feel joyous and comfortable to be there. In doing this, it puts us in a state of mind conducive for meditating, studying, or listening to teachings.

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